•  . 


</ 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 

Gift  of 
Carl  I.  Wheat  Family 


CAPTAIN    MAYNE   EEID'S 
0f     ,!trfa.etti:tm   f0r 


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"  There  is  no  author  in  this  country,  or  in  England,  who  writes  such  charm 
ing  and  healthy  books  for  children."  —  Home  Journal. 

TICKNOR  AND  FIELDS,  PUBLISHERS. 


BRUIN: 


THE   GRAND  BEAR  HUNT. 


BY 


CAPTAIN   MAINE   EEID, 

AUTHOR   OF    "  THE   BOY   HTTNTERS,"    "  THE   TOUXQ  VOYAGEtJRS,' 
"ODD   PEOPLE,"    ETC.,  ETC. 


BOSTON: 
TICK  NOR    AND     FIELDS. 

M  DCCC  LXI. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1860,  by 


TICK NOR    AND    FIELDS 


in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


AUTHOR'S    NOTE. 

CAPTAIN  REID  acknowledges  with  pleasure  the  assistance  of  an  American 
Author,  the  results  of  whose  labors  he  has  been  kindly  enabled  to  incorporate 
with  his  own  in  the  story  of  "  Bruin :  or,  The  Grand  Bear  Hunt." 


University  Press,  Cambridge  : 
Stereotyped  and  Printed  by  Welch,  Bigelow,  &  Co. 


E 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP.  PAGE 

I.      THE  PALACE  GRODONOFF 1 

II.      THE  BARON  GRODONOFF 7 

III.  THE  SEALED   ORDERS 11 

IV.  DISCUSSING  THE  CONDITIONS 17 

V.      TRACING  THE   ROUTE 23 

VI.      TO   THE   TORNEA 33 

VII.      JACK-IN-THE-BOX 38 

VIII.      THE  SCANDINAVIAN  BEARS 45 

IX.      HYBERNATION  OF  BEARS 62 

X.      BRUIN   AT   HOME 58 

XI.      HAND   TO  HAND 62 

XII.      A  MYSTERIOUS  DISAPPEARANCE 67 

XIII.  A   SUBNIVEAN  ESCAPE 74 

XIV.  RINGING  THE  BEAR 79 

XV.      OLD  NALLE 85 

XVI.      THE   STAKED  ENCLOSURE 90 

XVII.      THE   SPITTING  DEVIL 95 

XVIII.      THE  PALOMBIERE 102 

XIX.      THE  PYRENEES 109 

XX.      AN  ODD  AVALANCHE 114 

XXI.      A  MEETING  WITH  MULETEERS 121 


iv  CONTENTS. 

XXII.  THE  PYRENEAN   BEAR 127 

XXIII.  THE   IZZARD-HUNTER 132 

XXIV.  THE  AMBUSCADE 137 

XXV.  A   BEAR  IN  A   BIRD'S-NEST 141 

XXVI.  THE   LAMMERGEYERS 147 

XXVII.  FIRING  THE  EYRIE 161 

XXVIII.  SOUTH  AMERICAN  BEARS 157 

XXIX.  THE  AMAZONIAN  FOREST 164 

XXX.  THE  PERUVIAN  CINNAMON-TREE 171 

XXXI.  A  SKURRY  OVER  A  SAND-BAR 176 

XXXII.  PURSUED  BY  PECCARIES 180 

XXXIII.  SCYLLA  AND  CHARYBDIS 184 

XXXIV.  THE  OLD  MISSIONS 188 

XXXV.  EATING  A  NEGRO'S  HEAD 192 

XXXVI.  THE  TAGUA-TREE 198 

XXXVII.  NORTHWARD 205 

XXXVIII.  THE  NORTHERN  FORESTS 209 

XXXIX.  THE  LONE  LAGOON 213 

XL.  A  DARKEY  ON  BEAR-BACK 220 

XLI.  CUTTING  OUT  THE  BEAR 225 

XLII.  THE  SQUATTER'S  BARGAIN 229 

XLIII.  THE  POLAR  BEAR 236 

XLIV.  THE  OLD  SHE  SURROUNDED 242 

XLV.  A  WHOLE  FAMILY  CAPTURED 249 

XLVI.  THE  BARREN  GROUNDS 256 

XLVII.  BRUIN  TAKING  A  BATH 261 

XLVIH.  THE  GREAT  GRISLY 268 

XLIX.  A  FUR-TRADER'S  FORT 273 

L.  TREED  BY  OLD  EPHRAIM 278 

LI.  THE  KAMSCHATDALES 286 

LII.  FISHING-BEARS 291 

LIII.  DOG-DRIVING                                   297 


CONTENTS.  v 

LIV.  A   SLEDGE-CHASK 302 

LV.  THE    SUN  BEARS 308 

LVI.  THE  TALL  TAPANG •  313 

LVII.  THE  BRUANG 318 

LVIII.  THE   CABBAGE-EATER .      .  324 

LIX.  THE   SLOTH  BEAR 332 

LX.  BRUIN  TAKEN  BY  THE  TONGUE 339 

LXI.  AN  EXTRA  SKIN 345 

LXII.  AN  UNHAPPY  HORSE 351 

LXIII.  THE  SNOW   BEAR 356 

LXIV.  THE  LAST   CHASE 363 


BKTJIN. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE    PALACE    GRODONOFF. 

ON  the  banks  of  the  Neva,  near  the  great  city  of  St. 
Petersburg,  stands  a  splendid  palace,  known  as  the 
Palace  Grodonoff.  It  is  the  property  of  a  Russian 
nobleman  of  that  name,  as  it  is  also  his  place  of  resi 
dence.  "Were  you  to  drive  up  to  the  front  gate  of  this 
grand  palace,  you  would  see  a  coat-of-arms  sculptured 
in  granite  over  the  entrance.  In  this  piece  of  sculpture, 
the  principal  and  most  striking  figure  is  a  bear,  with  the 
blade  of  a  knife  buried  in  his  breast,  the  haft  being 
clutched  by  a  human  hand !  Open  the  gate,  and  enter 
the  spacious  court-yard.  Inside,  on  the  right  and  left, 
you  will  observe  two  live  bears  —  both  of  chestnut- 
brown  color,  and  each  of  them  as  big  as  a  buffalo. 
You  cannot  fail  to  notice  them,  for,  ten  chances  to  one, 
they  will  rush  towards  you  with  fierce  growls ;  and  were 
it  not  that  a  strong  chain  hinders  them  from  reaching 
you,  you  might  have  reason  to  repent  having  entered 
the  court-yard  of  the  palace  Grodonoff.  Look  around 
you  in  the  court-yard  and  over  the  different  doors  that 
open  upon  it;  you  will  again  see  the  crest  of  the  bear, 

1  A 


2  BRUIN. 

sculptured  in  stone ;  you  will  see  it  over  the  stables,  the 
coach-house,  the  granary,  the  kitchens,  —  everywhere. 
You  may  know  by  all  this,  that  it  is  the  coat-of-arms  of  the 
Baron  Grodonoff,  whose  crest  is  a  bear  with  a  blade  bur 
ied  in  its  breast,  and  a  human  hand  clutching  the  haft. 

You  will  naturally  conclude  that  there  is  some  history 
connected  with  this  singular  tableau  —  that  it  is  the  com 
memoration  of  some  deed  done  by  a  Grodonoff,  entitling 
him  to  use  the  bear  as  his  heraldic  device.  This  is  quite 
true ;  and  if  you  enter  the  picture-gallery  of  the  palace, 
you  will  there  behold  the  deed  more  explicitly  repre 
sented,  in  a  large  oil-painting  hung  conspicuously  in  the 
centre  of  the  wall.  The  scene  of  this  painting  is  a  for 
est  of  old  trees,  whose  gray,  gnarled  trunks  stand  thickly 
over  the  ground.  There  is  only  a  little  open  space  or 
glade  in  the  middle ;  and  this  is  occupied  by  three 
figures,  two  men  and  a  bear.  The  bear  is  between  the 
two  men ;  or,  rather,  one  of  the  men  is  prostrate  upon 
the  ground  —  where  he  has  been  struck  down  by  a  blow 
from  Bruin's  paw  —  while  the  huge  animal  stands  over 
him  reared  up  on  his  hind-quarters.  The  other  man  is 
upon  his  feet,  apparently  engaged  in  a  desperate  wrestle 
with  the  fierce  brute,  and  likely  to  prove  the  conqueror 
—  as  he  has  already  buried  the  blade  of  a  large  hunting- 
knife  in  the  animal's  breast,  and  directly  over  the  region 
of  its  heart.  Indeed,  the  shaggy  monster  already  shows 
signs  of  succumbing.  His  paw  has  dropped  from  the 
shoulder  of  his  antagonist,  his  long  tongue  lolls  out,  the 
blood  rushes  from  his  mouth  and  nostrils,  and  it  is  evi 
dent  that  his  strength  is  fast  forsaking  him,  and  that  he 
will  soon  sink  lifeless  upon  the  earth. 


THE   PALACE    GRODONOFF.  3 

You  will  notice  that  the  two  men  who  figure  in  the 
painting  are  very  dissimilar  in  appearance.  Both  are 
young  men,  and  both  are  in  hunting-costume ;  but  so  un 
like  is  their  dress,  that  you  could  not  fancy  they  followed 
the  same  occupation.  He  upon  the  ground  is  richly 
attired.  He  wears  a  tunic  of  finest  green  cloth  slashed 
with  sable-fur  on  the  skirt,  collar,  and  sleeves ;  his  limbs 
are  encased  in  breeches  of  white  doeskin ;  and  his  boots, 
reaching  nearly  to  his  thighs,  are  of  soft  russet  leather, 
ample  at  the  tops.  A  belt  around  his  waist  is  richly  em 
broidered;  and  the  hilt  of  a  short  hunting-sword,  pro 
truding  from  the  sheath,  appears  chased  and  studded 
with  jewels.  A  light  plumed  hat  lies  upon  the  ground 
near  his  head — evidently  tossed  off  in  the  struggle  — 
and  beside  it  is  a  boar-spear  that  has  been  jerked  out  of 
his  fingers  as  he  fell.  The  whole  costume  is  similar  to 
that  used  upon  the  stage  —  when  some  young  German 
or  Sclavonian  prince  is  represented  as  hunting  the  wild 
boar  in  the  forests  of  Lithuania. 

In  reality  it  is  a  prince  who  is  depicted  in  the  group 
of  the  gallery  Grodonoff — but  not  a  German  prince. 
He  is  a  Russian,  and  the  bear  is  the  Russian  bear. 

The  other  hunter  —  he  who  has  given  its  death-blow 
to  the  fierce  quadruped  —  is  dressed  in  a  style  entirely 
different.  It  is  the  costume  of  a  fur-hunter  —  a  trapper 
of  sables  —  and  consists  of  skin  coat  and  cap,  with  a 
strong  leathern  belt  round  his  waist,  and  rough  boots  of 
untanned  hide  upon  his  legs  and  feet.  The  costume  is 
rude,  and  bespeaks  him  a  peasant ;  but  his  face,  as  the 
painter  has  represented  it,  is  neither  common  nor  ill- 
looking.  It  is  not  so  handsome  as  that  of  the  prince: 


4  BRUIN. 

for  he  would  be  an  unskilful  artist  —  one  utterly  reckless 
of  his  own  fortune  —  who  should  paint  the  features  of  a 
peasant  as  handsome  as  those  of  a  prince.  In  Russia, 
as  elsewhere,  such  an  imprudent  painter  would  be  a  rara 
avis  indeed. 

The  picture  of  which  we  are  speaking  is  the  piece  de 
resistance  of  the  Grodonoff  gallery.  Its  size  and  con 
spicuous  position  declare  the  fact ;  and  the  story  attached 
to  it  will  show  that  it  merits  the  distinction.  But  for 
that  picture,  or  rather  the  scene  which  it  represents, 
there  would  be  no  GrodonofF  gallery  —  no  palace  —  no 
baron  of  the  name.  Paintings,  palace,  title,  all  have 
their  origin  in  the  incident  there  represented  —  the  battle 
with  the  bear. 

The  story  is  simple  and  may  be  briefly  told.  As 
already  stated,  he  upon  his  back,  hat  off,  and  spear  de 
tached  from  his  grasp,  is  a  Russian  prince  —  or  rather 
was  one,  for  at  the  time  when  our  history  commences  he 
is  an  emperor.  He  had  been  hunting  the  wild  boar ; 
and,  as  often  happens  to  sporting  princes,  had  become 
separated  from  his  courtier  attendants.  The  enthusiasm 
of  the  chase  had  led  him  on,  into  the  fastnesses  of  the 
forest,  where  he  came  suddenly  face  to  face  with  a  bear. 
Princes  have  their  hunter  ambition  as  well  as  other  men ; 
and,  in  hopes  of  taking  a  trophy,  this  one  attacked  the 
bear  with  his  boar-spear.  But  the  thrust  that  might 
have  penetrated  the  flesh  of  a  wild  boar,  had  no  effect 
upon  the  tough,  thick  hide  of  Bruin.  It  only  irritated 
him ;  and,  as  the  brown  bear  will  often  do,  he  sprang  sav 
agely  upon  his  assailant,  and  with  his  huge  paw  gave  the 
prince  such  a  "pat"  upon  the  shoulder,  as  not  only  sent 


THE   PALACE    GRODONOFF.  5 

the  spear  shivering  from  his  grasp,  but  stretched  his 
royal  highness  at  full  length  upon  the  grass. 

Following  up  his  advantage,  the  bear  had  bounded 
forward  upon  the  prostrate  body ;  and,  no  doubt,  in  the 
twinkling  of  a  bedpost  would  have  made  a  corpse  of  it 
—  either  squeezing  the  breath  out  of  it  by  one  of  his 
formidable  "  hugs,"  or  tearing  it  to  pieces  with  his  trench 
ant  teeth.  In  another  moment  the  hope  of  Russia 
would  have  been  extinguished ;  but,  just  at  this  crisis,  a 
third  figure  appeared  upon  the  scene  —  in  the  person  of 
a  young  hunter  —  a  real  one  —  who  had  already  been  in 
pursuit  of  the  bear,  and  had  tracked  him  up  to  the  spot. 

On  coming  upon  the  ground,  the  hunter  fired  his  gun ; 
but,  seeing  that  the  shot  was  insufficient,  he  drew  his 
knife  and  rushed  upon  the  bear.  A  desperate  struggle 
ensued,  in  which,  as  may  be  already  anticipated,  the 
young  hunter  proved  victorious  —  having  succeeded  in 
sheathing  his  blade  in  the  heart  of  the  bear,  and  causing 
the  savage  quadruped  to  "  bite  the  dust." 

Neither  the  prince  nor  the  peasant  came  scathless  out 
of  the  encounter.  Both  were  well  scratched ;  but  nei 
ther  had  received  any  wound  of  a  serious  nature ;  and 
the  amateur  hunter  rose  once  more  to  his  feet,  con 
scious  of  having  made  a  very  narrow  escape. 

I  need  not  add  that  the  prince  was  profuse  in  his 
expressions  of  gratitude  to  him  who  had  saved  his  life. 
The  young  hunter  was  not  one  of  his  own  party,  but  a 
stranger  to  him,  whose  home  was  in  the  forest  where  the 
incident  occurred.  But  their  acquaintance  did  not  end 
with  the  adventure.  The  prince  became  an  emperor,  — 
the  peasant  hunter  a  lieutenant  in  the  Imperial  Guard, 


6  BRUIN. 

afterwards  a  captain,  a  colonel,  a  general,  and  finally  a 
baron  of  the  empire  ! 

His  name? 

Grodonoff,  —  he  in  whose  palace  hangs  the  picture 
we  have  described. 


THE   BARON    GRODONOFF. 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE   BARON    GRODONOFF. 

IN  one  of  the  apartments  of  the  palace  Grodonoff, 
behold  its  proprietor,  the  baron  himself!  He  is  seated 
in  an  old  oak  chair,  with  a  heavy  table  of  the  same  ma 
terial  in  front  of  him.  On  the  table  is  spread  out  a  map 
of  the  world ;  and  by  the  side  of  the  chair  stands  a  large 
terrestrial  globe.  Several  shelves  standing  against  the 
walls  contain  books  ;  and  yet  the  apartment  is  not  a 
library,  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  word :  rather  is  it  a 
large  oblong  saloon ;  having  three  of  its  sides  occupied  by 
spacious  glass  cases,  in  which  are  exhibited  objects  of  nat 
ural  history,  —  birds,  quadrupeds,  reptiles,  and  insects,  — 
all  mounted  in  proper  form,  and  arranged  in  due  order. 
It  is,  in  fact,  a  museum,  —  a  private  collection  —  made 
by  the  baron  himself ;  and  the  books  that  fill  the  shelves 
are  works  relating  to  natural  history  alone. 

In  a  man  of  military  aspect,  —  an  old  veteran  with 
snow-white  hair,  and  grand  moustaches  of  like  hue  — 
such  as  he  who  is  seated  at  the  table  —  you  would 
scarce  expect  to  meet  the  lover  of  a  study  so  pacific  in 
its  character  as  that  of  natural  history  ?  Rather  would 
you  look  to  find  him  poring  over  plans  of  fortifications, 
with  the  pages  of  Vauban  spread  open  before  him ;  or 


8  BRUIN. 

some  history  detailing  the  campaigns  of  Suwarrow,  Die- 
bitsch,  Paskiewitch,  or  Potemkin?  In  this  instance, 
however,  appearances  were  deceptive.  Though  the 
baron  had  proved  an  excellent  military  officer,  and  seen 
service,  he  was  a  student  of  Nature.  His  early  life, 
spent  as  a  hunter,  had  begot  within  him  a  taste  for  natu 
ral  history ;  which,  as  soon  as  the  opportunity  offered, 
had  become  developed  by  study  and  research.  It  was 
now  no  longer  a  predilection,  but  a  passion ;  and  in  his 
retirement  nearly  the  whole  of  his  time  was  devoted  to  his 
favorite  study.  A  vast  fortune,  which  his  grateful  sover 
eign  had  bestowed  upon  him,  enabled  him  to  command 
the  means  for  gratifying  his  taste ;  and  the  magnificent 
collection  by  which  he  was  surrounded  gave  evidence 
that  no  expense  was  spared  in  its  gratification. 

It  was  a  map  and  globe  of  the  world  that  now  oc 
cupied  his  attention.  Could  these  have  reference  to  a 
question  of  natural  history? 

In  an  indirect  manner  they  had,  —  and  what  follows 
will  account  for  their  presence. 

A  hand-bell  stood  upon  the  table.  The  baron  rang 
it ;  and  before  its  tinkling  had  ceased,  the  door  opened, 
and  a  servant  entered  the  apartment. 

"  Summon  my  sons  to  attend  me  ! " 

The  servant  bowed,  and  retired. 

A  few  minutes  after,  two  youths  entered  the  apart 
ment.  They  appeared  to  be  of  the  respective  ages  of 
sixteen  and  eighteen.  One,  the  elder  and  taller,  was  of 
a  darkish  complexion,  with  brown,  waving  hair,  and 
hazel  eyes.  The  expression  of  his  countenance  was 
that  of  a  youth  of  firm  and  rather  serious  character; 


THE   BARON    GRODONOFF.  9 

while  the  style  of  his  dress,  or  rather  his  manner  of 
wearing  it,  showed  that  he  was  altogether  without  vanity 
in  matters  of  personal  appearance.  He  was  handsome 
withal,  having  that  aristocratic  air  common  to  the  nobility 
of  Russia.  This  was  Alexis. 

The  younger  brother  differed  from  him  as  much  as  if 
no  kinship  existed  between  them.  He  was  more  the  son 
of  his  mother,  the  baroness ;  while  Alexis  inherited  the 
features  and  a  good  deal  of  the  disposition  of  his  father. 
Ivan  was  a  fair-haired  lad,  with  golden  locks  curling  over 
a  forehead  of  bright  blonde  complexion,  and  cheeks  that 
exhibited  the  hue  of  the  rose.  His  eyes  were  of  a  deep 
azure-blue  —  such  as  is  often  seen  among  the  Sclavonic 
races  —  and  their  quick  sparkle  told  that  in  the  breast  of 
Ivan  there  beat  a  heart  brimming  with  bright  thoughts, 
and  ever  ready  for  mischief  and  merriment,  but  without 
any  admixture  of  malice. 

Both  approached  their  father  with  a  serious  expres 
sion  of  countenance.  That  of  Alexis  bespoke  sincerity ; 
while  Ivan  stole  forward  with  the  air  of  one  who  had 
been  recently  engaged  in  some  sly  mischief,  and  who  was 
assuming  a  demure  deportment  with  the  design  of  con 
cealing  it. 

A  word  about  these  two  youths,  and  the  object  for 
which  their  father  had  summoned  them  into  his  presence. 
They  had  now  been  each  of  them  more  than  ten  years 
engaged  in  the  study  of  books,  under  some  of  the  ablest 
teachers  that  Russia  could  furnish.  Their  father  himself 
had  given  much  time  to  their  instruction  ;  and,  of  course, 
an  inclination  to  their  minds  similar  to  that  which  charac 
terized  his  own,  but  chiefly  to  the  mind  of  Alexis. 
1* 


10  BRUIN. 

The  latter  had  imbibed  a  fondness  for  the  study  of  na 
ture,  -while  Ivan  was  more  given  to  admire  the  records 
of  stirring  events,  with  a  strong  penchant  for  the  splen 
dors  of  the  world,  in  which  he  felt  longing  to  bear  a  part. 
The  nature  of  the  books  which  had  passed  through  their 
hands  —  a  great  number  of  them  being  books  of  travel 
—  had  begotten  within  these  youths  a  wish  to  see  the 
world,  which,  increasing  each  day,  had  grown  into  an 
eager  desire.  This  desire  had  been  often  expressed  in 
hints  to  their  father ;  but  at  length,  in  a  more  formal 
manner,  by  means  of  a  written  petition,  which  the  boys, 
after  much  deliberation,  had  drawn  up  and  presented  to 
him,  and  which  was  now  seen  lying  open  before  him  upon 
the  table. 

The  petition  was  simply  their  united  request  that  their 
father  would  be  so  good  as  to  allow  them  to  travel  and 
see  foreign  countries,  —  where,  and  how,  to  be  left  to  his 
wise  guidance  and  discretion. 

It  was  to  receive  an  answer  to  this  petition,  that  his 
sons  were  now  summoned  into  his  presence. 


THE    SEALED    ORDERS.  11 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE   SEALED    ORDERS. 

"  So,  my  youngsters ! "  said  the  baron,  directing  his 
glance  upon  them,  "  you  have  a  desire  to  travel  ?  You 
wish  to  see  the  world,  do  you  ?  " 

"  True,  papa ! "  modestly  answered  Alexis ;  "  our  tutor 
tells  us  that  we  are  sufficiently  educated  to  go  abroad ; 
and,  if  you  have  no  objection,  we  should  very  much  like 
to  make  a  tour." 

"  What !  before  going  to  the  University  ?  " 

"  Why,  papa !  I  thought  you  were  not  going  to  send 
us  to  the  University  for  some  time  to  come  ?  Did  you 
not  say  that  a  year  of  travelling  was  worth  ten  at  a 
university  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  may  have  said  so  ;  but  that  depends  upon 
how  one  travels.  If  you  travel  merely  to  amuse  your 
selves,  you  may  go  over  all  the  world,  and  come  back  no 
wiser  than  when  you  started !  I  have  known  many  a 
man  return  from  a  circumnavigation  of  the  globe,  with 
out  bringing  with  him  the  knowledge  of  a  single  fact 
that  he  might  not  have  obtained  at  home.  You  would 
expect  to  travel  in  snug  railway  carriages,  and  comfort 
able  steamships,  and  sleep  in  splendid  hotels  —  is  that 
your  expectation  ?  " 


12  BRUIN. 

"  0  no,  papa  !  whatever  way  you  may  direct,  that  will 
be  agreeable  to  me,"  said  Alexis. 

"  As  for  me,"  rejoined  Ivan,  "  I  'm  not  particular.  I 
can  rough  it,  I  'm  sure." 

There  was  a  little  flavor  of  bravado  in  the  manner  of 
Ivan's  speech,  that  showed  he  was  scarce  inclined  to 
the  roughing  system,  and  that  he  merely  assumed  the 
swaggering  air,  because  he  had  no  belief  that  he  would 
be  called  upon  to  make  trial  of  it. 

"If  I  permit  you  to  travel,"  continued  the  baron, 
"  where  would  you  like  to  go  ?  You,  Alexis !  to  what 
part  of  the  world  would  your  inclination  lead  you  ?  " 

"  I  should  like  to  see  the  new  world  of  America  —  its 
noble  rivers,  and  forests,  and  mountains.  I  should  cer 
tainly  visit  America,  if  it  were  left  to  my  choice ;  but  I 
shall  be  guided  by  you,  papa,  and  do  as  you  direct." 

"  You,  Ivan  ?  " 

"  Paris  for  me,  of  all  places  in  the  world ! "  replied 
Ivan,  without  any  suspicion  that  the  answer  would  be 
displeasing  to  the  father. 

"  I  might  have  known  so,"  muttered  the  baron,  with  a 
slight  frown  clouding  his  forehead. 

"  O  papa ! "  added  Ivan,  noticing  the  shade  of  displeas 
ure  which  his  answer  had  produced ;  "  I  don't  care  par 
ticularly  about  Paris.  I  '11  go  anywhere  —  to  America, 
if  Alexis  likes  it  best  —  all  round  the  world  for  that 
matter." 

"  Ha !  ha !  ha ! "  laughed  the  baron  ;  "  that  sounds  bet 
ter,  Ivan  ;  and,  since  you  offer  no  objection  to  it,  all  round 
the  world  you  shall  go" 

"  Indeed  ?     I  'm  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  Alexis. 


THE    SEALED  ORDERS.  13 

"  What !  visit  all  the  great  cities  of  the  world  ?  "  ex 
claimed  Ivan,  whose  mind  was  evidently  occupied  with 
the  delights  of  great  cities. 

"No,"  replied  his  father;  "it  is  just  that  which  I  do 
not  intend  you  shall  do.  There  is  a  great  deal  to  be 
learnt  in  cities,  but  much  that  would  be  better  not  learnt 
at  all.  I  have  no  objection  to  your  passing  through  cities, 
—  for  you  must  needs  do  so  on  your  journey  —  but  one  of 
the  conditions  which  I  shall  prescribe  is,  that  you  make  stay 
in  no  city  longer  than  you  can  arrange  for  getting  out  of  it. 
It  is  through  countries  I  wish  you  to  travel  —  amidst  the 
scenes  of  nature  —  and  not  in  towns  and  cities,  where 
you  would  see  very  little  more  than  you  can  in  St.  Peters 
burg  itself.  It  is  Nature  I  wish  you  to  become  acquainted 
with,  and  you  must  see  it  in  its  most  primitive  forms. 
There  only  can  you  appreciate  Nature  in  all  its  sublimity 
and  grandeur." 

"Agreed,  papa!"  exclaimed  both  the  boys  at  once. 
"  Which  way  do  you  wish  us  to  go  ?  " 

"  All  round  the  world,  as  Ivan  has  suggested." 

"  0,  what  a  long  voyage !  I  suppose  we  shall  cross 
the  Atlantic,  and  then  by  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  to  the 
Pacific  ;  or  shall  we  go  as  Magellan  went,  around  Cape 
Horn?" 

"  Neither  way  —  I  wish  you  to  make  great  journeys 
by  land,  rather  than  voyages  by  sea.  The  former  will  be 
more  instructive,  though  they  may  cost  more  time  and 
toil.  Remember,  my  sons !  I  do  not  send  you  forth  to 
risk  your  lives  without  a  purpose.  I  have  more  than  one 
purpose.  First,  I  wish  you  to  complete  your  studies  of 
natural  science,  of  which  I  have  taught  you  the  elements. 


14  BRUIN. 

The  best  school  for  this  is  the  field  of  Nature  herself 
which  you  shall  explore  in  your  travels.  Secondly,  as 
you  both  know,  I  am  fond  of  all  natural  objects,  but  es 
pecially  those  that  have  life  —  the  beasts  of  the  field,  and 
the  birds  of  the  air ;  these  you  must  observe  in  their  na 
tive  haunts,  with  their  habits  and  modes  of  existence.  You 
will  keep  a  journal  of  all  facts  and  events  that  may  be 
worth  noting  down,  and  write  out  in  detail  such  adven 
tures  as  may  occur  to  you  upon  your  route,  and  you 
think  may  prove  interesting  to  me,  to  read  on  your  return. 
I  shall  provide  you  with  ample  means  to  accomplish 
your  journey ;  but  no  money  is  to  be  wasted  by  idly  so 
journing  in  large  cities  :  it  must  be  used  only  for  the  ne 
cessary  expenses  of  your  travels.  The  emperor  has  been 
kind  enough  to  give  you  a  circular  letter,  which  will  get 
you  funds  and  such  other  assistance  as  you  may  require 
from  his  agents  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 

"  We  promise,  dear  father,  strictly  to  adhere  to  your 
instructions.  But  whither  do  you  desire  us  to  go  ? " 
Alexis  asked  the  question. 

The  baron  paused  for  some  time  before  making 
reply.  Then,  drawing  from  his  desk  a  sealed  paper, 
which  showed  signs  of  having  been  but  recently  folded, 
he  gravely  said,  as  he  held  it  towards  them,  — 

"  In  this  document  you  will  find  the  conditions  upon 
which  I  give  you  permission  to  travel.  I  do  not  ask 
you  to  agree  to  them  until  you  have  carefully  examined 
and  reflected  upon  them.  You  will  therefore  retire  to 
your  room,  read  this  document  over,  and,  having  given 
its  contents  due  consideration,  return,  and  signify  whether 
you  accept  the  terms ;  for  if  not,  there  is  to  be  no  trav 
elling." 


THE    SEALED    ORDERS.  15 

"  By  the  Great  Peter ! "  whispered  Ivan  to  Alexis, 
"  they  will  be  hard,  indeed,  if  we  don't  accept  them." 

Alexis  took  the  paper,  and  both,  bowing  to  their 
father,  retired  to  their  own  apartment. 

The  seal  was  immediately  broken,  and  not  without 
some  surprise  did  they  peruse  the  contents  of  the  doc 
ument.  It  was  in  the  form  of  an  epistle,  and  ran 
thus  :  — 

"  MY  SONS  ALEXIS  AND  IVAN  : 
"You  have  expressed  a  desire  to  travel,  and  have 
requested  me  to  give  you  my  permission.  I  accede  to 
your  request,  but  only  upon  the  following  conditions : 
You  must  procure  for  me  a  skin  of  every  variety  of  bear 
known  upon  the  earth.  I  do  not  mean  such  varieties  as 
are  termed  '  accidental,'  arising  from  albinism  or  like  cir 
cumstances,  but  every  species  or  variety  known  to  natural 
ists  and  acknowledged  as  *  permanent/  The  bears  from 
which  these  skins  are  to  be  taken  must  be  killed  in  their 
native  haunts,  and  by  your  own  hands,  —  with  no  other 
assistance  than  that  of  an  attendant  whom  I  shall  ap 
point  to  accompany  you.  In  order  to  accomplish  the 
task  which  I  have  imposed  upon  you,  it  will  be  neces 
sary  for  you  to  go  'round  the  world;'  but  I  add  the 
further  condition,  that  you  are  to  go  only  once  round  it. 
In  latitude,  I  leave  you  free  to  range,  —  from  pole  to 
pole,  if  it  so  please  you  [this  was  a  stretch  of  liberty  at 
which  both  boys  laughed]  ;  but  longitudinally,  no.  You 
must  not  cross  the  same  meridian  twice  before  returning 
to  St.  Petersburg.  I  do  not  intend  this  condition  to  ap 
ply  to  such  traverses  as  you  may  be  compelled  to  make, 


16  BRUIN. 

while  actually  engaged  in  the  chase  of  a  bear,  or  in  track 
ing  the  animal  to  his  den  ;  only  when  you  are  en  route 
upon  your  journey.  You  will  take  your  departure  from 
St.  Petersburg,  and  go  east  or  west,  which  you  please. 
From  the  conditions  I  have  imposed  upon  you,  I  hope 
you  will  have  skill  enough  to  discover  that  a  route  is 
traced  out  for  you,  and,  that,  on  starting,  you  can  follow 
it  either  eastward  or  westward.  This,  with  all  matters 
relating  to  your  means  and  mode  of  travelling,  I  leave 
to  your  own  choice  ;  and  I  trust  that  the  practical  educa 
tion  you  have  received  will  enable  you  to  make  your  tour 
with  proper  judgment.  [['Tour,  indeed!'  exclaimed 
Ivan.]  Once  out  of  my  palace,  I  take  no  further  charge 
of  you.  You  may  be  some  years  older  before  I  see  you 
again  ;  but  I  trust  the  time  will  not  be  misspent ;  and 
that  upon  your  return  you  may  be  able  to  give  a  proper 
account  of  yourselves  is  the  earnest  hope  and  wish  of 
your  affectionate  father, 

"MICHAEL  GRODONOFF." 


DISCUSSING  THE    CONDITIONS'.  17 


CHAPTER    IV. 

DISCUSSING   THE    CONDITIONS. 

THE  two  youths  were  no  little  astonished  by  the  con 
tents  of  this  singular  epistle ;  but,  for  all  that,  the  terms 
imposed  did  not  seem  to  them  either  harsh  or  unreason 
able,  and  they  were  only  too  pleased  to  accede  to  them. 
They  partly  guessed  their  father's  motive.  They  knew 
that  he  loved  both  of  them  with  a  true  paternal  love ; 
but  his  affection  was  not  of  that  kind  to  pet  and  pamper 
them  within  the  precincts  of  his  luxurious  palace.  He 
had  a  different  idea  of  what  would  be  beneficial  to  their 
future  interests.  He  believed  in  the  education  which  is 
acquired  in  the  rude  school  of  toil  and  travel,  more  than 
in  the  book-lore  of  classic  universities ;  and  he  was  de 
termined  that  they  should  have  a  full  measure  of  this 
sort  of  training.  He  had  resolved  that  they  should  see 
the  world,  —  not  according  to  the  ordinary  understanding 
of  this  hackneyed  phrase  —  not  the  world  of  towns  and 
great  cities,  with  their  empty  shows  and  vices  —  but  the 
world  of  Nature  ;  and,  in  order  that  they  should  have 
the  opportunity  of  becoming  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
this  sort  of  world,  he  had  traced  out  for  them  a  route  that 
would  lead  them  into  its  very  wildest  scenes,  and  disclose 
to  them  its  rarest  and  most  primitive  forms. 

B 


18  BRUIN. 

"  By  my  word,  brother ! "  exclaimed  Ivan,  as  soon  as 
Alexis  had  finished  reading  the  letter,  "we  shall  have 
travelling  to  our  hearts'  content.  Certainly,  papa  has 
adopted  a  strange  plan  to  keep  us  out  of  the  walls  of 
great  cities." 

"  Yes,"  quietly  answered  Alexis ;  "  there  are  not  many 
cities  where  bears  abound." 

"  Such  strange  conditions  ! "  added  Ivan.  "  I  wonder 
what  father  can  mean  by  imposing  them  upon  us." 

"  Indeed,  I  hardly  know  myself.  One  thing  only  seems 
to  explain  it." 

"  What  is  that,  brother  ?  " 

"  You  are  aware,  Ivan,  of  the  interest  that  papa  takes 
in  all  matters  relating  to  bears.  As  people  say,  it  is 
almost  a  mania  with  him." 

"  O,  the  great  picture  in  the  gallery  will  account  for 
that,"  said  Ivan,  laughing.  "  But  for  a  bear,  you  know, 
our  papa  would  never  have  been  a  baron." 

"  True :  that  may  have  been  what  first  led  him  to  take 
an  interest  in  these  animals." 

"  And  yet  to  impose  upon  us  these  queer  conditions  ! " 
continued  Ivan;  "it  certainly  does  seem  a  little  eccen 
tric?" 

"  No  doubt  papa  has  his  purpose,"  said  Alexis ;  "  who 
knows  that  he  may  not  be  intending  to  write  a  monograph 
of  the  bears ;  and  it  is  for  this  he  wishes  to  have  a  full 
set  of  their  skins,  —  the  complete  costume  of  each  indi 
vidual  member  of  Monsieur  Bruin's  family  ?  Well,  wo 
must  do  our  best,  and  procure  them  for  him.  It  is  not 
for  us  to  inquire  into  the  motives  of  our  dear  father.  It 
is  our  duty  to  obey  his  orders,  even  though  the  task  be 
ever  so  irksome  or  difficult." 


DISCUSSING   THE    CONDITIONS.  19 

"  O,  certainly,  brother  !  I  admit  that ;  and  I  am  ready- 
to  yield  obedience  and  perform  any  task  dear  papa  may 
think  proper  to  impose  on  us." 

Certainly  there  was  some  reason  for  the  surprise  with 
which  the  youths  had  read  the  letter.  Its  contents  might 
have  appeared  still  more  whimsical  to  them,  had  it  not 
been  their  father  that  had  written  it ;  and,  but  for  the 
fact  that  he  had  already  given  them  a  thorough  training 
in  the  natural  sciences,  they  would  have  found  it  difficult, 
if  not  altogether  impossible,  to  carry  out  his  instructions. 
A  bear  of  every  known  variety  was  to  be  killed  and 
skinned,  —  killed,  too,  in  its  own  haunts  and  by  their 
own  hands ;  which,  of  course,  meant  that  they  were  to 
visit  every  country  where  bears  are  to  be  found,  and 
obtain  a  skin  of  each  kind.  Notwithstanding  their  youth, 
both  boys  were  skilled  hunters,  and  excellent  marksmen. 
Himself  brought  up  to  the  calling,  their  father  had  early 
initiated  them  into  the  hunter's  craft ;  and,  in  addition 
to  the  knowledge  of  natural  history  which  he  had 
imparted,  he  had  taught  them  habits  of  self-reliance,  — 
such  as  are  only  acquired  by  ordinary  individuals  at  the 
full  age  of  manhood.  Both  were  already  inured  to  such 
perils  and  hardships  as  are  incidental  to  a  hunter's  life ; 
both  could  endure  to  go  a  day  or  two  without  food  or 
drink,  —  could  sleep  in  the  open  air,  with  no  other  tent 
than  the  canopy  of  heaven,  and  no  other  couch  than  the 
grassy  covering  of  the  earth.  All  this  sort  of  experience 
they  had  already  gone  through,  in  the  cold  climate  of 
their  own  country ;  and  it  was  not  likely  they  would 
meet  with  one  much  more  rigorous  anywhere  on  the 
earth.  The  young  Grodonoffs  had  been  submitted  to  a 


20  BRUIN. 

training  of  almost  Spartan  severity,  —  a  perfect  Cyropce- 
dia,  —  and  dreaded  neither  hardships  nor  dangers.  They 
were  just  the  youths  to  carry  out  that  singular  programme 
which  had  been  traced  for  them  by  the  paternal  hand. 

Was  it  possible,  however,  to  do  so  ?  This  was  their 
first  query.  There  were  some  very  nice  points  in  that 
brief  chapter  of  instructions.  Latitudinally  they  might 
traverse  as  circumstances  required,  but  not  longitudinally. 
Under  these  limitations  would  it  be  possible  to  visit  the 
haunts  of  all  the  bears,  —  to  cover,  as  it  were,  the  whole 
area  of  Bruin's  geographical  distribution  ? 

That  it  was  possible  might  be  inferred,  from  the  fact 
of  their  father  having  issued  the  orders ;  but  it  was  neces 
sary  for  the  young  expeditionists  to  set  out  with  caution : 
else  might  they  take  a  wrong  route,  and  be  altogether 
unable  to  fulfil  his  injunctions.  They  must  not  twice 
cross  the  same  meridian.  It  was  this  quaint  condition 
that  puzzled  them,  and  rendered  it  necessary  to  guard 
against  making  a  false  start. 

Lucky  it  was  that  Alexis  was  an  accomplished  zoolo 
gist,  and  thoroughly  understood  the  geographical  distri 
bution  of  the  genus  ursus.  But  for  this  knowledge,  they 
would  certainly  have  been  puzzled  as  to  the  route  they 
were  to  take. 

u  Well,  brother  Ivan  ! "  said  Alexis,  with  a  smile,  "  had 
these  orders  been  issued  when  the  great  Swede  published 
his  Sy sterna  Natures,  our  task  would  have  been  easily  ac 
complished.  How  far  do  you  suppose  our  travels  need 
to  have  extended  ?  " 

"  I  don't  'quite  comprehend  you,  Alexis.     How  far  ?  " 

"  Why,  simply  into  the  court-yard  of  our  palace.     It 


DISCUSSING    THE    CONDITIONS.  21 

would  have  been  only  necessary  to  kill  and  skin  one  of 
the  great  bears  chained  by  the  gate,  and  that  would  have 
fulfilled  all  the  conditions  papa  has  imposed  upon  us." 

"  And  yet,  I  don't  understand  you,"  rejoined  Ivan, 
with  a  puzzled  look. 

"  How  obtuse  you  are,  brother  !  Read  the  letter  again ; 
note  well  its  terms  ! " 

"  Well,  I  understand  them.  We  are  to  travel  on,  and 
not  come  home  again  till  we  have  killed  a  bear  of  every 
variety  known." 

"  There  — just  so.  Of  course  papa  means  every  va 
riety  known  to  naturalists,  —  that  is,  to  the  i  scientific 
world/  as  it  is  termed.  Now  you  comprehend  my  mean 
ing?" 

"  O,  yes  ! "  answered  Ivan  ;  "  you  mean  that  when 
Linnreus  published  his  *  System  of  Nature/  only  our 
own  brown  bear  of  Europe  was  known  to  naturalists  ? " 

"  Precisely  so  —  only  the  ursus  arctos  ;  and  conse 
quently  we  should  have  had  but  a  very  short  journey 
to  make,  compared  with  what  is  before  us  now.  It  is 
true  that  previous  to  his  death,  the  Swedish  naturalist 
had  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  *  Polar '  bear  (ursus 
maritimus)  ;  but,  strange  enough,  he  regarded  this  as  a 
mere  variety  of  the  ursus  arctos  —  an  error  that  one  may 
wonder  Linnoeus  could  have  made." 

"  O,  they  are  very  different.  I  could  tell  that  myself. 
To  say  nothing  of  the  color,  they  are  unlike  in  shape ; 
and,  as  everybody  knows,  their  habits  are  very  dissimilar. 
Why,  one  lives  in  forests,  and  feeds  chiefly  upon  fruits ; 
while  the  other  dwells  amidst  fields  of  snow  and  ice,  and 
subsists  almost  exclusively  on  flesh,  or  fish !  Variety, 
indeed  !  no,  they  are  surely  different  species." 


22  BRUIN. 

"  Undoubtedly,"  answered  Alexis  ;  "  but  we  shall  have 
an  opportunity  of  comparing  them  hereafter.  For  the 
present  we  must  drop  the  subject,  and  find  out  the  route 
of  travel  which  papa  has  traced  out  for  us." 

"  But  he  has  not  indicated  any  route  —  has  he  ?  He 
gives  us  permission  to  go  where  we  please,  so  long  as  we 
get  the  bear-skins,  and  do  not  return  upon  our  meridian. 
We  are  not  to  take  the  back-track  —  ha !  ha !  ha  ! " 

"  Of  course  not ;  but  you  will  find,  to  avoid  doing  this, 
we  shall  have  to  go  by  a  definite  course,  and  can  take  no 
other." 

"  By  my  word !  brother,  I  don't  see  what  you  mean. 
I  shall  trust  all  to  you  :  so  take  me  where  you  please  — 
which  way,  then  ?  " 

"Ah,  that  has  yet  to  be  determined.  I  cannot  tell 
myself ;  and  it  will  take  me  some  time  before  I  can  make 
quite  sure  as  to  what  direction  we  are  to  take  on  starting 
out  —  whether  east,  west,  north,  or  south.  It  will  be 
necessary  for  me  to  examine  a  map  of  the  world,  and 
trace  out  the  boundaries  of  the  different  countries  in 
which  King  Bruin  holds  sovereignty." 

"  Ah  !  that  will  be  an  interesting  lesson  for  me.  Here 
is  the  map ;  let  me  spread  it  out,  and  do  what  I  can  to 
assist  you  in  finding  our  way." 

As  Ivan  said  this,  he  drew  a  large  travelling  map  of 
the  world  from  its  case  and  opening  it  out,  laid  it  upon 
the  table.  Both  the  youths  sat  down  ;  and  running  their 
eyes  over  the  chart,  proceeded  to  discuss  the  direction 
which,  by  the  conditions  imposed  upon  them,  they  must 
necessarily  take. 


TRACING   THE   ROUTE. 


CHAPTER    V. 

TRACING   THE   ROUTE. 

"  IN  the  first  place,"  said  Alexis,  "  there  is  the  brown 
bear  (ursus  arctos).  Him  we  might  find  in  many  parts 
of  our  own  country,  since  he  is  emphatically  our  *  Russian 
bear ' ;  but  there  is  also  a  black  bear,  which  some  natu 
ralists  say  is  a  variety  of  the  ursus  arctos,  while  others 
believe  it  to  be  a  separate  species,  having  given  to  it  the 
specific  name  of  ursus  niger  —  ursus  ator  it  is  sometimes 
called.  Now,  whether  it  be  a  species  or  only  a  variety, 
we  must  get  a  skin  of  it  all  the  same  —  since  papa  has 
definitely  expressed  it  so." 

"  This  black  bear  is  to  be  found  in  our  own  northern 
forests,  is  it  not  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  it  has  been  observed  there  ;  but  more  frequent 
ly  in  the  mountains  of  Scandanavia ;  and,  as  we  might 
wander  through  all  the  north  of  Russia  without  finding 
one,  our  best  plan  will  be  to  proceed  at  once  to  Norway 
or  Lapland.  There  we  shall  be  certain  also  of  finding 
the  brown  bear,  and  thus  kill  two  birds  with-one  stone." 

"  Say  Lapland :  I  should  like  to  see  the  little  Laps ; 
but  where  next  ?  To  North  America,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  By  no  means.  There  is  a  bear  in  the  Pyrenees, 
and  other  mountains  of  Spain  —  in  the  Asturias  espe- 


24  BRUIN. 

cially.  It  is  also  deemed  by  most  naturalists  to  be  only 
a  variety  of  the  ursus  arctos,  but  it  is  certainly  a  distinct 
species ;  and  papa  thinks  so.  Some  naturalists  would 
have  it  that  there  are  only  three  or  four  distinct  species 
in  the  whole  world.  They  might  just  as  well  say  there 
•was  but  one.  I  think  it  better  to  follow  papa's  views 
upon  this  subject,  and  regard  all  those  bears  which  have 
permanent  marks  of  distinction  —  whether  it  be  in  size, 
color,  or  otherwise  —  as  being  so  many  separate  species, 
however  much  they  may  approximate  in  habits  or  dispo 
sition.  Why,  some  naturalists  even  call  the  American 
black  bear  merely  a  variety  of  our  brown  ;  and,  as  I  said 
a  moment  ago,  Linnaeus  himself  believed  the  Polar  to  be 
the  same  species.  This  is  now  known  to  be  an  erroneous 
theory.  Since  papa  has  given  as  much  time  to  the  study 
of  the  bears  as  perhaps  any  one  else,  I  shall  follow  his 
theory,  and  regard  the  Spanish  bear  (ursus  pyrenaicus  it 
is  called)  a  distinct  species." 

"  You  propose,  then,  to  go  next  to  Spain,  and  kill  the 
Spanish  bear  ?  " 

"  We  must.     Having  started  in  a  westerly  course  by 
going  to  Lapland,  we  must  keep  on  in  that  direction." 
"  But  how  about  the  white  bear  of  the  Alps  ?  " 
"  You  mean  the  ursus  albus  of  Lesson  ?  " 
"  Yes.     To  reach  the  Alps,  where  it  is  said  to  be 
found,  we  should  have  to  recross  a  meridian  of  longi 
tude?" 

"  We  should,  if  there  were  such  an  animal  to  be  found 
in  the  Alps  ;  but  there  is  not.  The  white  bear  of  Buffon 
and  Lesson  (ursus  albus)  was  only  a  mere  accidental 
variety  or  albino  of  the  brown  bear ;  and  papa  does  not 


TRACING   THE    ROUTE.  25 

mean  that  we  should  collect  the  skins  of  such  as  these. 
He  has  said  so.  Indeed,  Ivan,  were  that  task  imposed  on 
us,  we  should  both  be  old  men  before  we  could  complete 
it,  and  return  home  again.  It  is  only  the  skins  of  the 
permanent  varieties  we  are  to  procure,  and  therefore  the 
ursus  albus  is  scratched  out  of  our  list." 

"  Out  with  him  then  !  where  go  we  next  ?  To  North 
America,  then,  no  doubt  ?  " 

«  No." 

"  Perhaps  to  Africa  ?  " 

«  No." 

"  Are  there  no  bears  in  Africa  ?  " 

"  That  is  a  disputed  point  among  writers,  and  has  been 
so  since  the  days  of  Pliny.  Bears  are  mentioned  as  hav 
ing  been  exhibited  in  the  Roman  circus,  under  the  name 
of  Numidian  bears  ;  and  Herodotus,  Virgil,  Juvenal,  and 
Martial,  all  mention  Lybian  bears  in  their  writings. 
Pliny,  however,  stoutly  denies  that  there  were  any  of 
these  animals  in  Africa  ;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that 
he  equally  denies  that  stags,  goats,  and  boars  existed  on 
the  African  continent :  therefore  his  statement  about  the 
non-existence  of  the  Numidian  bears  is  not  worth  a 
straw.  Strange  enough,  the  point  is  as  much  disputed 
now  as  in  the  days  of  Pliny.  The  English  traveller, 
Bruce,  states  positively  that  there  are  no  bears  in  Africa. 
Another  English  traveller  to  Abyssinia,  Salt,  makes  no 
mention  of  them ;  while  the  German,  Ehrenberg,  says 
tha-t  he  has  seen  them  in  the  mountains  of  Abyssinia, 
and  heard  of  them  also  in  Arabia  Felix  !  Several 
French  and  English  travellers  (Dapper,  Shaw,  Poncet, 
and  Poiret)  bear  testimony  to  the  existence  of  bears  in 
2 


26  BRUIN. 

different  parts  of  Africa,  —  in  Nubia,  Babur,  and  Congo. 
In  the  Atlas  Mountains,  between  Algiers  and  Morocco, 
according  to  Poiret,  bears  are  common  enough  ;  and  this 
writer  even  gives  some  details  as  to  their  habits.  He 
says  that  they  are  exceedingly  fierce  and  carnivorous, 
and  that  the  Arabs  believe  they  can  lift  stones  in  their 
paws  and  fling  them  at  those  who  may  be  in  pursuit  of 
them  !  He  relates  that  an  Arab  hunter  brought  him  the 
skin  of  one  of  those  bears;  and  also  showed  him  a 
wound  in  his  leg,  which  he  had  received  by  the  animal 
having  launched  a  stone  at  him  while  he  was  pursuing 
it !  Monsieur  Poriet,  however,  does  not  vouch  for  the 
truth  of  the  stone-throwing,  though  he  stoutly  maintains 
the  existence  of  African  bears." 

"  What  does  papa  think  about  it  ?  "  inquired  Ivan. 

"  That  there  are  bears  in  Africa  —  perhaps  in  all  the 
mountainous  parts  of  Africa  —  but  certainly  in  the  Atlas 
and  Tetuan  ranges.  Indeed,  an  English  traveller  of  ve 
racity  has  put  the  question  beyond  a  doubt,  by  giving 
some  points  in  the  description  of  these  African  bears. 
Naturalists  thought  that  if  such  an  animal  existed  in 
Africa,  it  would  be  the  same  species  as  the  Syrian  ;  but 
although  the  bears  reported  in  the  Arabian  and  Abyssin 
ian  mountains  are  likely  enough  to  be  of  that  species, 
those  of  the  Atlas  are  evidently  not  only  distinct  from 
the  Syrian  bear,  but  from  all  other  known  kinds.  One 
that  was  killed  near  Tetuan,  about  twenty-five  miles 
from  the  Atlas  Mountains,  was  a  female,  and  less  in  size 
than  the  American  black  bear.  It  was  black  also,  or 
rather  brownish  black,  and  without  any  white  marking 
about  the  muzzle,  but  under  the  belly  its  fur  was  of  a 


TRACING   THE   ROUTE.  27 

reddish  orange.  The  hair  was  shaggy,  and  four  or  five 
inches  long,  while  the  snout,  toes,  and  claws  were  all 
shorter  than  in  the  American  black  bear,  and  the  body- 
was  of  thicker  and  stouter  make.  The  Englishman  had 
learnt  something  of  its  habits  too.  The  Arabs  said  it 
was  rarely  met  with  near  Tetuan ;  that  it  fed  on  roots, 
acorns,  and  fruits,  but  was  only  an  indifferent  climber. 
Indeed,  it  would  be  very  improbable,"  continued  Alexis, 
"  that  the  great  ranges  of  the  Atlas  and  Abyssinian 
mountains  should  be  without  these  mammalia,  since  they 
exist  in  nearly  all  the  other  mountains  of  the  globe. 
Moreover,  it  should  be  remembered  that  it  is  only  a  few 
years  since  the  bears  of  the  Himalayas,  of  the  Great 
Andes  of  America,  and  those  of  the  East  Indian  Islands 
—  and  even  the  bear  of  Mount  Lebanon  —  became 
known  to  the  scientific  world.  Why,  then,  should  there 
not  be  a  species  in  Africa  —  perhaps  more  than  one  — 
though  civilized  people  are  yet  unacquainted  with  it  ?  " 
"  But  you  say  we  are  not  going  to  Africa  ?  " 
"  No  ;  our  instructions  relate  only  to  every  variety  of 
bear  known  to  naturalists  ;  and  the  African  bear  does  not 
come  under  this  category,  since  it  has  not  yet  been  de 
scribed  by  any  naturalist.  For  that  reason  we  shall  have 
no  errand  into  Africa." 

"  Then,  surely,  North  America  is  our  next  stage  ?  " 
"  Certainly  not ;  you  are  aware  that  there  is  a  South 
American  bear." 

"  Yes,  the  '  spectacled  bear/  as  he  is  called." 
"  Just  so,  —  the  ursus  ornatus.     I  think  we  shall  find 
two  species  in  South  America,  though  that  is  also  a  dis 
puted  point." 


28  BRUIN. 

«  Well,  brother,  what  if  we  should  ?  " 

"  Why,  both  will  be  found  in  the  Andes  of  Chili  and 
Peru,  and  not  in  the  eastern  parts  of  South  America." 

"  And  how  should  that  affect  our  route  of  travel  ?  " 

"  Very  essentially,  indeed.  Were  we  to  go  first  to 
North  America,  we  should  find  no  less  than  five  species, 
or  four  species  and  one  well-marked  variety.  To  reach 
the  native  haunt  of  one  of  these  —  I  mean  the  grisly 
(ursus  ferox)  —  we  should  have  to  go  farther  west  than 
any  part  of  the  South  American  Andes :  how,  then, 
could  we  afterwards  reach  the  spectacled  bear  without 
doubling  back  on  our  meridian  ? " 

"  True,  brother ;  I  see  that,  by  looking  on  the  map. 
You  propose,  then,  steering  first  to  South  America,  and 
afterwards  to  the  northern  division  of  the  American 
continent  ?  " 

"  We  are  compelled  to  do  so,  by  the  very  nature  of 
our  contract.  Having  procured  the  skins  of  ursus  orna- 
tus  and  another  variety  we  shall  find  in  the  Andes,  we 
can  then  travel  almost  due  north.  On  the  Mississippi  we 
shall  be  able  to  pick  up  a  skin  of  the  American  black 
bear  (ursus  americanus},  and  by  the  help  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  voyageurs  we  shall  reach  the  shores  of  the  great  gulf 
from  which  that  territory  takes  its  name.  There  the 
*  polar  bear '  (ursus  maritimus)  can  be  found.  Farther 
westward  and  northward  we  may  hope  to  capture  the 
'  barren-ground  bear,'  which  the  English  traveller,  Sir 
John  Richardson,  thinks  is  only  a  variety  of  our  Euro 
pean  brown  bear,  but  which  papa  —  and  good  reasons  he 
has  —  believes  to  be  nothing  of  the  kind.  Crossing  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  we  shall  be  able,  I  hope,  to  knock  over 


TRACING   THE   ROUTE.  29 

the  famed  and  formidable  grisly  (ursus  ferox),  and  in 
Oregon,  or  British  Columbia,  we  shall  strip  his  hide  from 
the  *  cinnamon  bear'  (ursus  cinnamonus),  believed  to  be 
a  variety  of  the  American  black.  That  will  finish  with 
the  bears  of  America." 

"  Asia  next,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Yes,  straight  across  to  Kamschatka.  There  we  shall 
meet  with  the  '  Siberian,'  or  '  collared  bear '  (ursus  colla- 
ris).  Of  these,  two  varieties  are  said  to  exist,  one  of 
which,  specified  by  the  name  ursus  sibiricus,  is  also  found 
in  Lapland  and  Siberia." 

"  Go  on,  brother !     Where  next  ?  " 

"  From  Kamschatka  we  shall  make  a  long  traverse  to 
the  southwest.  Our  next  hunting-ground  will  be  Borneo." 

"  Ah  !  the  beautiful  little  bear  with  the  orange-colored 
breast ! " 

"  Yes  ;  that  is  the  '  Bornean  bear '  (ursus  euryspilus) 
or  '  Bruang,'  as  he  is  called  by  the  Malays." 

"  But  there  is  another  Bruang  ?  " 

"Yes,  —  the  *  Malayan  sun  bear'  (ursus  malaganus). 
This  we  shall  encounter  in  Sumatra  or  Java,  whichever 
we  choose  to  visit." 

"  Well,  the  list  is  much  larger  than  I  expected :  cer 
tainly  it  has  been  wonderfully  lengthened  since  the  days 
of  the  good  old  Linnseus." 

"  We  have  not  reached  the  end  yet." 

«  Where  next,  brother  ?  " 

"  Up  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  and  on  to  the  Himalayas. 
First  in  the  foot  hills  of  these  mountains  we  shall  have 
to  search  for  the  curious  ( sloth  bear,'  or  'juggler's  bear* 
(ours  de  jongleurs)  as  the  French  writers  term  him. 


30  BRUIN. 

He  is  the  wsus  labiatus  of  naturalists ;  and  we  may  find 
him  in  the  plains  of  India,  before  reaching  the  Hima 
layas.  Having  skinned  him,  we  shall  proceed  to  climb 
the  great  mountains,  and  higher  up  we  are  certain  to 
come  across  the  '  Thibet  bear '  (ursus  thibetanus)  —  by 
some  very  erroneously  described  as  being  one  of  the 
numerous  varieties  of  the  European  brown  bear  !  Still 
higher  up  we  shall,  I  hope,  have  the  good  luck  to  en 
counter  and  kill  a  specimen  of  the  '  Isabella  bear '  (ursus 
isabelinus),  so  called  from  his  color,  but  termed  by 
Anglo-Indian  sportsmen  the  'snow  bear/  because  he 
frequents  the  declivities  near  the  snow-line  of  these 
stupendous  mountains." 

"That  is  all,  is  it  not?" 

"  No,  Ivan,  —  one  more,  and  that  will  be  the  last." 

"What  is  he?" 

"  The  '  Syrian '  (ursus  syriacus)  ;  and  though  the  last 
in  our  catalogue,  this  is  the  very  first  on  record :  for  they 
were  bears  of  this  species  that  came  out  of  the  wood  and 
Hare  forty  and  two'  of  the  mockers  of  the  prophet  Elisha. 
We  shall  have  to  visit  Syria  to  procure  a  skin  of  the 
ursus  syriacus." 

"  Well,  I  hope  their  ferociousness  has  been  tamed 
down  since  Elisha's  time,  else  we  may  stand  a  fair 
chance  of  being  served  in  a  similar  fashion." 

"  No  doubt  we  shall  have  many  a  scratch  before  we 
encounter  the  bears  of  Mount  Lebanon.  When  we  have 
obtained  a  robe  from  one  of  them,  there  will  be  nothing 
more  for  us  to  do  but  take  the  most  direct  route  home. 
We  shall  then  have  gone  once  round  the  world? 

"  Ah,  that  we  shall ! "  said  Ivan,  laughing ;  "  and  all 


TRACING   THE    ROUTE.  31 

over  it  too.  Great  Czar !  I  think  by  the  time  we  have 
captured  one  of  Elisha's  bears  we  shall  have  had  a  sur 
feit  of  travel." 

"  No  doubt  of  it ;  but  now,  brother,  that  we  know 
where  we  are  going,  let  us  waste  no  more  time,  but 
signify  our  acceptance  of  the  conditions,  and  be  off  at 
once." 

"  Agreed,"  said  Ivan ;  and  both  returning  into  the 
presence  of  the  baron,  announced  their  readiness  to 
take  the  road. 

"  Are  we  to  travel  alone,  papa  ?  "  inquired  Ivan  ;  "  I 
think  you  spoke  of  an  attendant  ?  " 

"  Yes,  one  attendant.  You  must  not  be  encumbered 
with  too  many  servants  to  wait  upon  you."  One  will  be 
quite  sufficient." 

«  Who  is  it  to  be  ?  "  asked  Ivan. 

The  baron  rang  the  bell,  and  a  servant  entered. 

"  Send  Corporal  Pouchskin  to  me  ! " 

Shortly  after,  the  door  reopened,  and  a  man  of  about 
fifty  appeared.  The  tall,  well-balanced  form  and  erect 
attitude  —  the  close-cropped  hair  and  enormous  grizzled 
moustache,  combined  with  great  gravity  of  features,  de 
noted  a  veteran  of  the  Imperial  Guard,  —  one  of  those 
grand  and  redoubtable  soldiers  who  have  seen  service  in 
the  presence  of  an  emperor.  Though  no  longer  wearing 
the  military  uniform,  but  dressed  somewhat  as  a  park 
or  game-keeper,  the  silent  salute  and  attitude  of  "  atten 
tion  "  were  sufficiently  indicative  of  the  profession  which 
Pouchskin  had  followed :  for  it  was  the  veritable  Pouch- 
skin  who  had  entered  the  apartment.  He  said  not  a 
word,  nor  did  he  look  either  to  the  right  or  left,  —  only 
directly  forward,  and  at  the  baron. 


32  BRUIN. 

"  Corporal  Pouchskin  ! " 

«  General ! " 

"  I  wish  you  to  make  a  journey." 

"  I  am  ready." 

"  Not   quite,  corporal.     I  will  give  you  an  hour  to 
prepare." 

"  Where  does  the  general  wish  me  to  go  ?  " 

"  Round  the  world." 
. ' "  Half  an  hour  will  suffice." 

"  So  much  the  better,  then.     Prepare  to  start  in  half 
an  hour." 

Pouchskin  bowed  and  retired. 


TO    THE   TORNEA.  33 


CHAPTER   VI. 

TO   THE   TORNEA. 

WE  shall  not  detail  the  parting  interview  between  the 
Baron  Grodonoff  and  his  sons ;  there  was  the  usual  in 
terchange  of  affectionate  expressions,  with  as  much  feel 
ing  as  is  common  on  such  occasions.  Neither  need  we 
relate  the  ordinary  incidents  of  travel  which  befell  our 
expeditionists  on  their  way  to  the  mountains  of  Lapland. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  they  journeyed  by  post  from  St. 
Petersburg  direct  to  Tornea,  at  the  head  of  the  Great 
Bothnian  Gulf.  Thence  they  proceeded  northward  up 
the  river  Tornea  —  till  they  had  reached  the  mountain 
ous  region  in  which  this  stream  takes  its  rise.  They 
were  amply  furnished  with  the  means  of  travelling  in 
the  most  expeditious  manner,  and  were  not  encumbered 
with  any  great  amount  of  luggage.  A  bag  of  roubles, 
which  Pouchskin  carried  in  a  safe  pocket,  proved  the 
most  convenient  article  they  could  have  taken  along  with 
them ;  since  it  enabled  them  to  supply  their  wants  from 
day  to  day,  without  troubling  themselves  with  any  cum 
bersome  baggage.  There  are  few  parts  of  the  world  in 
which  ready  money  will  not  command  the  necessaries  of 
life ;  and  as  this  was  all  our  hunters  cared  for,  they  had 
no  difficulty  in  obtaining  supplies  —  even  in  the  remote 


34  BRUIN. 

regions  of  uncivilized  Lapland.  The  wild,  half-savage 
Lap  perfectly  comprehends  the  value  of  a  coin;  and 
will  exchange  for  it  his  reindeer  flesh  and  milk,  or  any 
thing  else  that  may  be  asked  from  him.  Our  young 
hunters,  therefore,  travelled  lightly  —  with  little  else  in 
the  shape  of  baggage  than  a  pair  of  knapsacks  which  they 
carried  on  their  backs,  and  which  contained  only  a  change 
or  two  of  linen,  and  such  toilet  articles  as  were  absolutely 
necessary  to  their  comfort.  A  knapsack  of  much  larger 
dimensions  formed  the  chief  care  of  Pouchskin ;  and 
although  this,  with  its  contents,  would  have  been  a  heavy 
load  for  an  ordinary  man,  the  veteran  of  the  Imperial 
Guard  thought  no  more  of  it  than  if  it  had  been  a  bag 
of  feathers.  Each  in  addition  carried  an  ample  fur 
cloak ;  which,  on  the  march,  was  folded  up  and  strapped 
to  their  backs  on  top  of  the  knapsack,  but  at  night  was 
wrapped  around  their  bodies,  and  served  both  as  bed 
and  bedclothes.  All  three  were  armed  and  equipped,  in 
the  most  substantial  manner.  They  carried  guns,  though 
differing  in  kind.  The  piece  of  Alexis  was  a  handsome 
Jager  rifle ;  Ivan's  was  a  double-barrelled  shot-gun  or 
fowling-piece  ;  while  Pouchskin  balanced  over  his 
shoulder  an  immense  fusil,  the  bullet  of  which  weighed 
a  good  ounce  avoirdupois.  All  were  provided  with  a 
knife  of  one  fashion  or  another. 

In  such  guise  did  our  young  hunters  enter  the  moun 
tains  of  Lapland  ;  and  commence  their  search  after  the 
"  old  man  in  the  fur  coat,"  as  the  Laplanders  term  the  bear. 

They  had  taken  proper  measures  to  secure  success. 
They  had  secured  the  services  of  a  guide,  who  engaged 
to  conduct  them  to  a  district  where  bears  existed  in  great 


TO    THE   TORNEA.  35 

plenty,  and  where  he  himself  lived  in  a  state  almost  as 
savage  as  the  bears  —  for  he  was  a  true  Laplander,  and 
lived  in  a  tent  in  the  very  heart  of  the  mountains.  He 
was  one  of  those  who  had  no  reindeer ;  and  was  there 
fore  forced  to  depend  on  the  chase  for  his  subsistence. 
He  trapped  the  ermine  and  beaver  —  killed  the  wild 
reindeer  when  he  could  —  spent  his  whole  life  in  battling 
with  wolves  and  bears ;  and  with  the  skins  of  these 
animals  —  which  he  sold  to  the  fur-traders  —  he  was  able 
to  supply  himself  with  the  few  necessaries  which  such  a 
state  of  existence  called  for. 

Under. his  tent  of  coarse  wadmal  cloth  the  travellers 
found  shelter,  and  such  rude  hospitality  as  the  poor  Lap 
could  afford  them  —  in  return  for  which  they  had  to  live 
in  the  midst  of  a  smoke  that  nearly  put  out  their  eyes. 
But  they  knew  they  had  entered  upon  an  expedition,  in 
which  many  hardships  were  to  be  expected;  and  they 
bore  the  inconvenience  with  becoming  fortitude. 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  give  the  details  of  the  every 
day  life  of  the  young  hunters,  nor  yet  an  account  of  the 
very  many  curious  incidents,  which  occurred  to  them 
during  their  sojourn  in  Lapland.  Much  was  noted  down 
in  their  journal  —  from  which  this  narrative  has  been 
drawn  —  interesting  only  to  themselves,  or  perhaps  still 
more  to  their  father  the  baron.  For  him  they  wrote  an 
account  of  everything  peculiar  that  they  observed  —  such 
as  the  odd  customs  of  the  Laplanders  —  their  mode  of 
travelling  in  sledges  with  reindeer  —  their  snow-skating 
on  the  skidors  and  skabargers  —  and,  in  short,  a  full  ac 
count  of  the  habits  and  manners  of  these  singular  people. 
Especially,  however,  did  Alexis  describe  the  objects  of 


36  BRUIN. 

natural  history  which  came  under  his  notice  —  giving 
such  details  as  he  drew  from  personal  observation,  or 
derived  from  the  native  hunters,  many  of  whom  they 
encountered  while  engaged  in  the  chase  of  the  bear. 

These  details,  were  they  given  in  full,  would  fill  a  book 
of  themselves.  We  must  content  ourselves,  therefore, 
with  relating  only  the  more  interesting  incidents,  and 
striking  adventures  which  happened  to  our  heroes. 

We  may  here  state  that  it  was  in  the  early  part  of 
spring  that  they  arrived  in  Lapland,  or  rather  in  the 
latter  part  of  winter,  when  the  ground  is  still  covered 
with  deep  snow.  At  this  season  the  bears  are  hidden 
away  in  their  caves  —  in  crevices  of  the  rocks  or  hollow 
trees  —  from  which  they  only  issue  forth  when  the  spring 
sun  makes  itself  felt,  and  the  snow  begins  to  disappear 
from  the  sides  of  the  hills. 

Every  one  has  heard  of  this  winter  sleep  of  the  bears ; 
and  it  has  been  attributed  to  bears  of  all  species.  This, 
however,  is  a  mistake,  as  it  is  only  indulged  in  by  a  few 
kino's ;  and  the  climate  and  nature  of  the  country  which 
the  bear  inhabits  has  more  to  do  with  his  Cybernation 
than  any  natural  instinct  of  the  animal ;  since  it  has  been 
observed  that  bears  will  go  to  sleep,  or  hybernate,  as  it  is 
termed,  in  one  part  of  a  country,  while  individuals  of  the 
same  species,  in  another  region,  will  be  found  roaming 
about  all  the  winter  through.  The  state  of  torpor  seems 
to  be  voluntary  with  these  animals  :  since  it  is  generally 
in  districts  where  food  could  not  be  procured  that  they 
submit  themselves  to  this  prolonged  siesta. 

However  this  may  be,  the  brown  bears  of  Lapland 
certainly  indulge  in  a  period  of  slumber  —  during  which 


TO    THE   TORNEA.  37 

they  are  difficult  to  find.  Never  issuing  from  their  places 
of  concealment,  they  make  no  track  in  the  snow  by 
which  they  might  be  followed.  At  such  seasons  it  is  only 
by  accident,  or  by  the  aid  of  his  dog,  that  the  Lap 
hunter  chances  to  discover  the  retreat  of  a  bear;  and, 
when  one  is  thus  discovered,  various  methods  are  adopted 
for  securing  the  valuable  skin  and  carcass  of  the  animal. 

It  so  chanced  that,  previous  to  the  arrival  of  the 
young  Russians  upon  their  hunting-ground,  there  had  been 
a  show  of  spring  —  that  is,  a  few  days  of  warm  sun  — 
but  this  had  been  succeeded  Jby  a  return  of  the  cold 
weather,  with  a  fresh  fall  of  snow.  The  spell  of  warmth, 
however,  had  aroused  many  bears  from  their  lethargy  — 
some  of  which  had  ventured  out  of  their  caves,  and  made 
short  excursions  among  the  hills  —  in  search,  no  doubt, 
of  the  berries,  that,  preserved  all  winter  by  the  snow, 
are  sweet  and  mellow  at  this  season,  and  a  favorite  food 
of  the  bears. 

This  casual  occurrence  of  the  spring  having  made  a 
promise  and  not  kept  it,  was  just  the  chance  for  our  hunt 
ers  ;  since  it  enabled  them  in  a  very  short  time  to  track 
a  bear  to  his  den. 

A  few  days  after  their  arrival  upon  the  hunting-ground, 
they  were  able  to  do  this  —  having  come  upon  the  foot 
marks  of  a  bear,  that,  followed  for  a  mile  or  so  through 
the  snow,  led  them  to  the  animal's  lair.  It  led  them  also 
to  an  adventure,  which  was  the  first  they  had  yet  encoun 
tered  ;  and  which  came  very  near  being  the  last  that 
Pouchskin  was  ever  to  have  in  the  world  Pouch  skin 
was  certainly  in  great  peril ;  .and  how  he  escaped  from 
it  will  be  learnt,  by  reading  an  account  of  the  adventure. 


38  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

JACK-IN-THE-BOX. 

IT  was  early  in  the  morning,  shortly  after  leaving  the 
the  tent  of  the  Laplander,  they  had  chanced  upon  the 
track  of  the  bear. 

After  following  it  for  nearly  a  mile,  it  conducted  them 
to  a  narrow  gorge  or  ravine,  lying  between  two  rocky 
ridges.  The  ravine  itself  was  not  more  than  ten  or  a 
dozen  yards  in  width,  and  its  bottom  was  filled  with 
snow  to  the  depth  of  several  feet.  Along  the  sides  the 
snow  lay  sparsely ;  and  in  fact  there  had  been  scarce 
any  in  that  place  before  the  fall  the  preceding  night. 
This  had  only  covered  the  ground  to  the  depth  of  a  few 
inches:  but  it  was  sufficient  to  show  the  footmarks  of 
the  bear;  and  they  were  able  to  follow  the  spar  —  so 
the  Scandinavian  hunters  call  the  tracks  of  an  animal  — 
as  fast  as  they  chose  to  go. 

Following  it  up,  then,  our  hunters  entered  the  ravine. 
They  kept  for  some  distance  along  one  side — just  by 
the  edge  of  the  deep  snow ;  but  at  length  the  track  in 
dicated  where  the  bear  had  crossed  to  the  other  side  ; 
and  of  course  they  were  compelled  to  cross  likewise. 

This  deep  snow  was  the  accummulated  deposits  of 
different  storms  that  had  occurred  during  the  winter ; 


JACK-IN-THE-BOX.  39 

and,  shadowed  from  the  sun  by  the  long  branches  of 
evergreen  pines  from  both  sides  stretching  outward  over 
the  ravine,  it  had  remained  without  melting.  There  was 
a  crust  over  it  —  strong  enough  to  carry  a  man  on 
skidors,  but  not  without  them,  unless  he  proceeded  with 
care  and  caution.  The  bear  had  gone  over  it;  but 
these  animals,  notwithstanding  their  enormous  weight 
and  bulk,  can  pass  over  ice  or  crusted  snow  that  will  not 
carry  a  man.  Their  weight  rests  upon  four  points  instead 
of  two ;  and  as  they  need  only  lift  one  foot  at  a  time, 
they  still  have  three  points  of  support.  A  man  must 
also  lift  one  foot,  which  leaves  him  only  one  to  stand 
upon  ;  and  therefore  his  whole  weight  presses  upon  a  sin 
gle  point,  and  so  endangers  his  breaking  through.  The 
great  length  of  a  bear's  body,  moreover,  and  the  vast 
stretch  between  his  fore  and  hind  legs  give  him  an  ad 
ditional  advantage  —  enabling  him  to  distribute  his 
weight  over  a  large  surface  —  and  this  is  why  he  can 
shuffle  over  ice  or  snow-crust  that  may  be  too  weak  to 
carry  a  human  being.  Every  boy  knows  —  at  least 
every  boy  who  has  skated  or  ventured  upon  a  frozen 
pond  —  that  by  creeping  on  hands  and  knees,  or,  more 
certain  still,  by  sprawling  ^long  on  the  breast,  ice  may  be 
passed  over,  that  would  not  bear  the  same  boy  in  an  erect 
attitude. 

Such  advantage,  then,  had  the  bear  which  our  young 
hunters  were  tracking  up  ;  and  it  would  have  been  well 
for  them  —  at  least  for  Pouchskin  —  had  they  thought  of 
it.  They  did  not.  They  supposed  that  where  a  great 
heavy  animal  like  a  bear  had  gone  they  might  go  too ; 
and,  without  further  reflection,  they  stepped  out  upon  the 
deep  bed  of  snow. 


40  BRUIN^ 

Alexis  and  Ivan  being  light  weights  passed  over  the 
snow  safely  enough ;  but  Pouchskin,  weighing  nearly  as 
much  as  both  of  them  —  and  further  loaded  with  a  pon 
derous  wood-axe  and  his  huge  gun,  to  say  nothing  of  sun 
dry  well-filled  pockets  and  pouches  —  was  more  than  the 
crust  would  carry.  Just  when  he  had  got  about  half  way 
across,  there  was  heard  a  tearing  crash ;  and  before  tho 
boys  coujd  turn  round  to  inquire  the  cause,  Pouchskin 
had  disappeared,  and  all  his  paraphernalia  along  with 
him  ! 

No,  not  quite  all.  There  was  seen  about  two  feet  of 
the  barrel  of  his  gun  above  the  surface  ;  and  as  that  still 
pointed  upward  —  while  it  moved  around  the  circular 
hole  through  which  the  old  guardsman  had  fallen  —  the 
boys  concluded  that  the  piece  was  in  his  hands,  and  that 
Pouchskin  was  still  upon  his  feet. 

At  the  same  instant  a  voice  reached  their  ears  —  in  a 
hollow  sepulchral  tone,  like  that  of  a  man  speaking  from 
the  bottom  of  a  well,  or  through  the  bunghole  of  an 
empty  cask ! 

Notwithstanding  its  baritone  notes,  the  boys  perceived 
that  the  exclamations  made  by  the  voice  were  not  those 
of  terror,  but  rather  of  surprise,  followed  by  a  slight 
laugh.  Of  course,  therefore,  their  attendant  had  received 
no  injury,  nor  was  he  in  any  danger ;  and,  assured  of 
this,  Ivan,  first,  and  then  Alexis,  broke  out  into  yells  of 
laughter. 

On  cautiously  approaching  the  trap-like  hole,  through 
which  Pouchskin  had  disappeared,  their  merriment  burst 
forth  afresh,  at  the  ludicrous  spectacle,  There  stood  the 
old  guardsman,  like  a  jack-in-the-box  in  the  centre  of  a 


JACK-IN-THE-BOX.  41 

hollow  funnel-shaped  cylinder  which  he  had  made  in  the 
snow.  But  what  was  strangest  of  all,  there  was  no  snow 
among  his  feet :  on  the  contrary,  he  was  up  to  his  knees 
in  water,  and  not  stagnant  water"  either,  but  a  current, 
that  ran  rapidly  underneath  the  snow,  and  had  swished 
the  crusted  fragments  from  the  spot  where  he  was  stand 
ing! 

A  stream,  in  fact,  ran  down  the  ravine  ;  and,  although 
the  snow  completely  hid  it  from  view,  there  it  was,  rush 
ing  along  underneath  through  a  tunnel  which  it  had 
melted  out  for  itself — the  snow  forming  a  continuous 
bridge  above  it. 

The  boys  did  not  know  all  this  —  for  they  could  only 
just  see  the  top  of  Pouchskin's  head,  with  his  long  arms 
holding  the  gun  —  but  they  could  hear  the  rushing  noise 
of  the  water,  and  Pouchskin  reported  the  rest. 

It  did  not  appear  so  easy  to  extricate  him  from  his  un 
pleasant  predicament ;  for  the  resemblance  between  his 
situation,  and  that  of  jack-in-the-box,  went  no  further. 
There  was  no  jerking  machinery  by  which  the  ex-guards 
man  could  be  jumped  out  of  his  box  ;  and,  since  his  head 
was  full  three  feet  below  the  crust  of  the  snow,  how  he  was 
to  be  raised  to  the  surface  required  some  consideration. 

Neither  of  the  young  hunters  dared  to  approach  the 
circumference  of  the  circular  hole  through  which  Pouch- 
skin  had  sunk.  They  might  have  broken  through  them 
selves,  and  then  all  three  would  have  been  in  the  same 
fix.  Of  course,  under  this  apprehension,  they  dared  not 
go  near  enough  to  pull  him.  out  with  their  hands  —  even 
had  they  been  able  to  reach  down  to  him. 

It  is  true  he  might  have  got  out,  after  some  time,  by 


42  BRUIN. 

breaking  the  snow  before  him,  and  working  his  way  at 
right  angles  to  the  course  of  the  stream :  for  it  was  evident 
that  the  ground  sloped  sharply  up  in  that  direction,  and 
the  snow  became  shallower.  Except  above  the  water,  it 
was  firm  enough  to  have  borne  his  weight,  and  after  a 
time  he  might  have  scrambled  out ;  but  a  more  expedi 
tious  plan  of  relieving  him,  and  one  far  less  troublesome 
to  Pouchskin,  suggested  itself  to  Alexis. 

One  of  the  impedimenta,  which  the  old  guardsman 
carried  on  his  shoulders,  was  a  coil  of  stout  cord  — 
almost  a  rope.  This  they  had  brought  with  them,  in 
the  anticipation  of  being  successful  in  their  hunt ;  and, 
with  the  idea  of  its  being  required  at  the  skinning  of 
the  bear  —  as  also  for  packing  the  hide,  or  any  simi 
lar  purpose. 

It  was  the  presence  of  this  cord  that  suggested  to 
Alexis  the  scheme  he  had  conceived  for  relieving  his 
faithful  follower  from,  his  unhappy  position  ;  and  the  plan 
itself  will  be  understood  by  our  describing  its  execution, 
which  took  place  on  the  instant. 

Alexis  called  to  Pouchskin  to  tie  one  end  of  the  rope 
round  his  body,  and  then  fling  the  other  out  upon  the 
snow  —  as  far  as  he  could  cast  it.  This  request  was  in 
stantly  complied  with ;  and  the  end  of  the  rope  made  its 
appearance  at  the  feet  of  Alexis. 

The  latter  taking  it  in  his  hand,  ran  up  the  bank  to  the 
nearest  tree ;  and  giving  it  a  turn  or  two  round  the  trunk, 
he  handed  it  to  Ivan,  with  the  direction  to  hold  it  fast 
and  keep  it  from  slipping.  A  knot  would  have  served 
the  same  purpose  ;  but  the  whole  thing  was  the  work  of 
only  a  few  moments  ;  and  as  Ivan  was  standing  by  doing 


JACK-IN-THE-BOX.  43 

nothing,  his  brother  thought  he  might  just  as  well  take 
hold  of  the  rope  and  save  time. 

Alexis  now  crept  back,  as  near  to  the  edge  of  the  trap 
as  it  was  safe  to  go.  He  took  with  him  a  long  pole, 
which  by  a  lucky  chance  he  had  found  lying  under  the 
trees.  Slipping  this  under  the  rope,  and  placing  it  cross 
wise,  he  shoved  it  still  nearer  to  the  circumference  of  the 
broken  circle — his  object  being  to  give  support  to  the 
cord,  and  keep  it  from  cutting  into  the  snow. 

The  contrivance  was  perfectly  correct ;  and  as  soon  as 
Alexis  had  got  all  ready,  he  shouted  to  Pouchskin  to  haul 
upon  the  rope,  and  help  himself. 

Meanwhile,  the  old  guardsman  had  slung  his  fusil  upon 
his  back  ;  and,  immediately  on  receiving  the  signal,  com 
menced  his  ascent  —  pulling  hand  over  hand  upon  the 
rope,  and  assisting  his  arms  by  working  his  feet  against 
the  wall  of  snow. 

The  moment  his  head  appeared  above  the  surface,  the 
lamghter  of  his  young  masters,  that  had  been  for  a  while 
suspended,  burst  forth  afresh.  And  it  was  no  wonder : 
for  the  expression  upon  the  old  soldier's  visage,  as  it  rose 
above  the  white  crust,  his  bent  attitude,  and  the  desperate 
exertions  he  was  making  to  clamber  upward,  all  combined 
to  form  a  most  ludicrous  picture. 

Ivan  screamed  till  the  tears  ran  down  his  cheeks.  So 
overcome  was  he  with  mirth,  that  it  is  possible  he  would 
have  let  go,  and  permitted  Pouchskin  to  tumble  back  in 
to  his  trap  ;  but  the  more  sober  Alexis,  foreseeing  such  a 
contingency,  ran  up  and  took  hold  of  the  rope. 

By  this  means,  Pouchskin  was  at  length  landed  safely 
on  the  surface  of  the  snow ;  but  even  his  tall  boots  of 


44  BRUIN. 

Russia  leather  had  not  saved  his  legs  and  feet  from 
getting  well  soaked  ;  and  he  was  now  dripping  with 
muddy  water  from  the  thighs  downwards. 

There  was  no  time,  however  to  kindle  a  fire  and  dry 
him.  They  did  not  think  of  such  a  thing.  So  eager 
were  all  three  in  the  chase  of  the  bear,  that  they  only 
waited  to  coil  up  the  cord,  and  then  continued  onward. 


THE   SCANDINAVIAN   BEARS.  45 


CHAPTER     VIII. 

THE    SCANDINAVIAN   BEARS. 

"  REALLY,  now,"  said  Ivan,  pointing  to  one  of  the 
tracks,  "  if  it  was  n't  that  I  see  the  marks  of  claws  instead  of 
toes,  I  should  fancy  we  were  tracking  a  man  instead  of  a 
bear  —  some  barefooted  Laplander,  for  instance.  How 
very  like  these  tracks  are  to  those  of  a  human  foot ! " 

"  That  is  quite  true,"  rejoined  Alexis ;  "  there  is  a  very 
remarkable  resemblance  between  the  footprints  of  the 
bear  and  those  of  a  human  being  —  especially  when  the 
tracks  have  stood  a  while.  As  it  is,  now,  you  can  see 
clearly  the  marks  of  the  claws  ;  but  in  a  day  or  two,  when 
the  sun  or  the  rain  has  fallen  upon  the  snow,  and  melted 
it  a  little,  the  claw-marks  will  then  be  filled  up  with  the 
thaw,  and,  losing  their  sharp  outlines,  will  look  much 
more  like  the  tracks  of  toes.  For  that  reason,  an  old 
bear-track  is,  indeed,  as  you  say,  very  like  that  of  a  hu 
man  foot." 

"And  quite  as  large,  too  ?  " 

"  Quite  as  large :  the  tracks  of  some  kinds  even  larger 
than  those  of  most  men.  As,  for  instance,  the  white  and 
grisly  species  —  many  individuals  of  both  having  paws 
over  twelve  inches  in  length  ! " 

"  The  bear  does  not  tread  upon  his  toes  in  walking,  but 


46  BRUIN. 

lays  the  whole  sole  of  his  foot  along  the  ground  —  does 
he  not?"  asked  Ivan. 

"  Precisely  so,"  replied  Alexis ;  "  and  hence  he  is  termed 
a  plantigrade  animal,  to  distinguish  him  from  those  other 
kinds,  as  horses,  oxen,  swine,  dogs,  cats,  and  so  forth,  that 
all,  in  reality,  step  upon  their  toes." 

"There  are  some  other  plantigrade  animals  besides 
bears  ?  "  said  Ivan,  interrogatively ;  "  our  badger  and  glut 
ton,  for  instance  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  naturalist.  "  These  are  planti 
grade  ;  and  for  this  reason  they  have  been  classed  along 
with  the  bears  under  the  general  name  ursidce;  but  in 
father's  opinion,  and  mine  too,"  added  Alexis,  with  a  slight 
sparkle  of  scientific  conceit,  "  this  classification  is  alto 
gether  an  erroneous  one,  and  rests  upon  the  very  insig 
nificant  support  of  the  plantigrade  feet.  In  all  other 
respects  the  different  genera  of  small  animals,  that  have 
thus  been  introduced  into  the  family  of  the  bears  are  as 
unlike  the  latter  almost  as  bears  are  to  bluebottles." 

"What  animals  have  been  included  in  this  family 
ursidce  ?  " 

"The  European  glutton  and  American  wolverene 
(gulo),  the  badgers  of  both  continents,  and  of  Asia  (meles), 
the  raccoon  (procyon),  the  Cape  ratel  (mellivord),  the 
panda  (ailurus),  the  benturong  (ictides),  the  coati  (nasua), 
the  paradoxure  (paradoxurus),  and  even  the  curious  little 
teledu  of  Java  (my  dam).  It  was  Linnasus  himself  who 
first  entered  these  animals  under  the  heading  of  bears  - 
at  least,  such  of  them  as  were  known  in  his  day ;  and  the 
French  anatomist,  Cuvier,  extended  this  incongruous  list 
to  the  others.  To  distinguish  them  from  the  true  bears, 


THE    SCANDINAVIAN   BEAKS.  47 

they  divided  the  family  into  two  branches  —  the  ursince, 
or  bears  properly  so  called,  and  the  subursina,  or  little 
bears.  Now,  in  my  opinion,"  continued  Alexis,  "  there  is 
not  the  slightest  necessity  for  calling  these  numerous 
species  of  animals  even  '  little  bears.'  They  are  not  bears 
in  any  sense  of  the  word :  having  scarce  any  other  re 
semblance  to  the  noble  Bruin  than  their  plantigrade  feet. 
All  these  animals  —  the  Javanese  teledu  excepted  —  have 
long  tails ;  some  of  them,  in  fact,  being  very  long  and 
very  bushy  —  a  characteristic  altogether  wanting  to  the 
bears,  that  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  tails  at  all.  But 
there  are  other  peculiarities  that  still  more  widely  separate 
the  bears  from  the  so-called  '  little  bears ; '  and,  indeed,  so 
many  essential  points  of  difference,  that  the  fact  of  their 
being  classed  together  might  easily  be  shown  to  be  little 
better  than  mere  anatomical  nonsense.  It  is  an  outrage 
upon  common  sense,"  continued  Alexis,  warming  with  his 
subject,  "  to  regard  a  raccoon  as  a  bear,  —  an  animal  that 
is  ten  times  more  like  a  fox,  and  certainly  far  nearer  to 
the  genus  canis  than  that  of  ursus.  On  the  other  hand, 
it  is  equally  absurd  to  break  up  the  true  bears  into  dif 
ferent  genera  —  as  these  same  anatomists  have  done ;  for 
if  there  be  a  family  in  the  world  the  individual  members 
of  which  bear  a  close  family  likeness  to  one  another,  that 
is  the  family  of  Master  Bruin.  Indeed,  so  like  are  the 
different  species,  that  other  learned  anatomists  have  gone 
to  the  opposite  extreme  of  absurdity,  and  asserted  that 
they  are  all  one  and  the  same  !  However,  we  shall  see 
as  we  become  acquainted  with  the  different  members  of 
this  distinguished  family,  in  what  respects  they  differ  from 
each  other,  and  in  what  they  are  alike." 


48  BRUIN. 

"  I  have  heard,"  said  Ivan,  "  that  here,  in  Norway  and 
Lapland,  there  are  two  distinct  species  of  the  brown 
bear,  besides  the  black  variety,  which  is  so  rare ;  and  I 
have  also  heard  say  that  the  hunters  sometimes  capture 
a  variety  of  a  grayish  color,  which  they  call  the  '  silver 
bear.'  I  think  papa  mentioned  these  facts." 

"  Just  so,"  replied  Alexis ;  "  it  has  been  the  belief 
among  Swedish  naturalists  that  there  are  two  species,  or 
at  least  permanent  varieties,  of  the  brown  bear  in  North 
ern  Europe.  They  have  even  gone  so  far  as  to  give 
them  separate  specific  names.  One  is  the  ursus  arctos 
major,  while  the  other  is  ursus  arctos  minor.  The  former 
is  the  larger  animal  —  more  fierce  in  its  nature,  and  more 
carnivorous  in  its  food.  The  other,  or  smaller  kind,  is  of 
a  gentler  disposition  —  or  at  all  events  more  timid  —  and 
instead  of  preying  upon  oxen  and  other  domestic  ani 
mals,  confines  itself  to  eating  grubs,  ants,  roots,  berries, 
and  vegetable  substances.  In  their  color  there  is  no 
perceptible  difference  between  the  two  supposed  varie 
ties,  more  than  may  be  often  found  between  two  individu 
als  notedly  of  the  same  kind ;  and  it  is  only  in  size  and 
habits  that  a  distinction  has  been  observed.  The  latest 
and  most  accurate  writers  upon  this  subject  believe  that 
the  great  and  little  brown  bears  are  not  even  varieties  ; 
and  that  the  distinctive  characteristics  are  merely  the 
effects  of  age,  sex,  or  other  accidental  circumstances.  It 
is  but  natural  to  suppose  that  the  younger  bears  would 
not  be  so  carnivorous  as  those  of  greater  age.  It  is  well 
known  that  preying  upon  other  animals  and  feeding  upon 
their  flesh,  is  not  a  natural  instinct  of  the  brown  bear ;  it 
is  a  habit  that  has  its  origin,  first,  in  the  scarcity  of  other 


THE    SCANDINAVIAN   BEARS.  49 

food,  but  which,  once  entered  upon,  soon  develops  itself 
into  a  strong  propensity,  —  almost  equalling  that  of  the 
felidce. 

"  As  to  the  black  bear  being  a  distinct  species,  that  is 
a  question  also  much  debated  among  both  hunters  and 
naturalists.  The  hunters  say  that  the  fur  of  the  black 
European  bear  is  never  of  that  jetty  blackness  which 
characterizes  the  real  black  bears  of  American  and  Asi 
atic  countries,  but  only  a  very  dark  shade  of  brown  ;  and 
they  believe  that  it  is  nothing  more  than  the  brown  fur 
itself,  grown  darker  in  old  age.  Certainly  they  have 
reason  for  this  belief:  since  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that 
the  brown  bears  do  become  darker  as  they  grow  older. 

"  Ha  !  "  said  Ivan,  with  a  laugh,  u  that  is  just  the  re 
verse  with  us.  Look  at  Pouchskin  there  !  Your  hair 
was  once  black,  was  n't  it,  old  Pouchy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Master  Ivan,  black  as  a  crow's  feathers." 

"  And  now  you  're  as  gray  as  a  badger.  Some  day, 
before  long  —  before  we  get  home  again,  maybe  —  your 
moustache,  old  fellow,  will  be  as  white  as  an  ermine." 

"  Very  like,  master,  very  like,  —  we  '11  all  be  a  bit 
older  by  that  time." 

"  Ha  !  ha !  ha  !  "  laughed  Ivan ;  "  you  're  right  there, 
Pouchy ;  but  go  on  brother ! "  he  added,  turning  to 
Alexis  ;  "  let  us  hear  all  about  these  Scandinavian  bears. 
You  have  not  spoken  of  the  '  silver '  ones." 

"  No,"  said  Alexis ;  "  nor  of  another  kind  that  is 
found  in  these  countries,  and  that  some  naturalists  have 
elevated  into  a  different  species  —  the  '  ringed  bear.'  " 

"  You  mean  the  bears  with  a  white  ring  round  their 
necks  ?  Yes,  I  have  heard  of  them  too." 

3  D 


50  BRUIN. 

"Just  so,"  rejoined  Alexis. 

"  Well,  brother,  what  do  you  think  ?  Is  it  a  distinct 
species,  or  a  permanent  variety  ?  " 

"  Neither  one  nor  the  other.  It  is.  merely  an  acci 
dental  marking  which  some  young  individuals  of  the 
brown  bear  chance  to  have,  and  it  scarcely  ever  remains 
beyond  the  age  of  cubhood.  It  is  only  very  young  bears 
that  are  met  with* of  this  color;  and  the  white  ring  dis 
appears  as  they  get  older.  It  is  true  that  hunters  now 
and  then  meet  with  an  odd  ringed  bear  of  tolerable  size 
and  age ;  but  all  agree  that  he  is  the  brown  bear,  and 
not  a  distinct  kind.  The  same  remarks  apply  to  the  '  sil 
ver  '  bear ;  and  hunters  say  that  in  a  litter  of  three  cubs 
they  have  found  all  three  colors  —  the  common  brown, 
the  '  ringed/  and  the  '  silver,'  —  while  the  old  mother 
herself  was  a  true  ursus  arctos" 

"  Well,  since  papa  only  binds  us  to  the  brown  and 
black,  it  will  be  a  nice  thing  if  we  could  fall  in  with  a 
skin  of  the  ringed  and  silver  varieties.  It  would  please 
him  all  the  better.  I  wonder  now  what  sort  is  this  fel 
low  we  are  following  ?  By  the  size  of  his  tracks  he 
must  be  a  whopper ! " 

"  No  doubt  an  old  male,"  rejoined  Alexis  ;  "  but  if  I 
am  not  mistaken,  we  shall  soon  be  able  to  determine  that 
point.  The  spar  gets  fresher  and  fresher.  He  must 
have  passed  here  but  a  very  short  while  ago ;  and  I 
should  not  wonder  if  we  were  to  find  him  in  this  very 
ravine." 

"See!"  exclaimed  Ivan,  whose  eyes  had  been* lifted 
from  the  trail,  and  bent  impatiently  forward;  —  "see! 
by  the  great  Peter !  yonder  's  a  hole,  under  the  root  of 
that  tree.  Why  might  it  not  be  his  cave  ?  " 


THE    SCANDINAVIAN   BEARS.  51 

"  It  looks  like  enough.  Hush  !  let  us  keep  to  the  trail, 
and  go  up  to  it  with  caution  —  not  a  word ! " 

All  three,  now  scarce  breathing  —  lest  the  sound 
should  be  heard  —  stole  silently  along  the  trail.  The 
fresh-fallen  snow,  still  soft  as  eider-down,  enabled  them 
to  proceed  without  making  the  slightest  noise  ;  and  with 
out  making  any,  they  crept  up,  till  within  half  a  dozen 
paces  of  the  tree. 

Ivan's  conjecture  was  likely  to  prove  correct.  There 
was  a  line  of  tracks  leading  up  the  bank ;  and  around 
the  orifice  of  the  cavity  the  snow  was  considerably  tram 
pled  down  —  as  if  the  bear  had  turned  himself  two  or 
three  times  before  entering.  That  he  had  entered,  the 
hunters  did  not  entertain  a  doubt :  there  were  no  return 
tracks  visible  in  the  snow  —  only  the  single  line  that  led 
up  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and  this  seemed  to  prove 
conclusively  that  Bruin  was  "at  home." 


52  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

HYBERNATION    OF    BEARS. 

As  already  stated,  it  is  the  custom  of  the  brown  bear, 
as  well  as  of  several  other  species,  to  go  to  sleep  for  a 
period  of  several  month's  every  winter,  —  in  other  words, 
to  hybernate.  When  about  to  take  this  long  nap,  the 
bear  seeks  for  himself  a  cave  or  den,  in  which  he  makes 
his  bed  with  such  soft  substances  as  may  be  most  conven 
ient —  dry  leaves,  grass,  moss,  or  rushes.  He  collects 
no  great  store  of  these,  however  —  his  thick  matted  fur 
serving  him  alike  for  bed  and  coverlet ;  and  very  often 
he  makes  no  further  ado  about  the  matter  than  to  creep 
into  the  hole  he  has  chosen,  lie  down,  snugly  couch  his 
head  among  the  thickets  of  long  hair  that  cover  his 
hams,  and  thus  go  to  sleep. 

Some  naturalists  have  asserted  that  this  sleep  is  a  state 
of  torpidity  —  from  which  the  animal  is  incapable  of 
awaking  himself  or  of  being  awakened,  until  the  regular 
period  of  indulgence  in  it  may  have  passed.  This,  how 
ever,  is  not  the  case;  for  bears  are  often  surprised  in 
their  sleep,  and  when  aroused  by  the  hunters  act  just  as 
is  usual  with  them  at  other  times. 

It  must  be  observed,  however,  that  the  retirement  of 
the  bear  into  winter  quarters  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  of 


HYBERNATION    OF    BEARS.  53 

the  same  nature  as  the  hybernation  of  marmots,  squir 
rels,  and  other  species  of  rodent  animals.  These  crea 
tures  merely  shut  themselves  up  from  the  cold ;  and  to 
meet  the  exigencies  of  their  voluntary  imprisonment, 
they  have  already  collected  in  their  cells  a  large  store  of 
their  usual  food.  Bees  and  many  other  insects  do  pre 
cisely  the  same  thing.  Not  so  with  the  bear.  Whether 
it  be  that  he  is  not  gifted  with  an  instinct  of  providence  it 
is  difficult  to  say ;  but  certain  it  is,  that  he  lays  up  no 
store  for  these  long  dark  days,  but  goes  to  sleep  without 
thought  of  the  morrow. 

How  he  is  maintained  for  several  months  without  eat 
ing  is  one  of  nature's  mysteries.  Every  one  has  heard 
the  absurd  theory,  that  he  does  so  by  "sucking  his 
paws,"  and  the  ingenious  Buffon  has  not  only  given  cre 
dence  to  this  story,  but  endeavors  to  support  it,  by  stating 
that  the  paws  when  cut  open  yield  a  substance  of  a 
milky  nature ! 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  this  story  is  to  be  found  scat 
tered  all  over  the  world  —  wherever  bears  hybernate. 
The  people  of  Kamschatka  have  it ;  so  also  the  Indians, 
and  Esquimaux  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  territory,  and  the 
Norwegian  and  Lap  hunters  of  Europe.  Whence  did 
these  widely-distributed  races  of  men  derive  this  com 
mon  idea  of  a  habit  which,  if  the  story  be  a  true  one, 
must  be  common  to  bears  of  very  different  species  ? 

This  question  can  be  answered.  In  northern  Europe 
the  idea  first  originated  —  among  the  hunters  of  Scandi 
navia.  But  the  odd  story  once  told  was  too  good  to  be 
Most ;  and  every  traveller,  since  the  first  teller  of  it,  has 
taken  care  to  embellish  his  narrative  about  bears  with 


54  BRUIN. 

this  self-same  conceit ;  so  that,  like  the  tale  of  the  Ama 
zon  women  in  South  America,  the  natives  have  learnt  it 
from  the  travellers,  and  not  the  travellers  from  the 
natives ! 

How  absurd  to  suppose  that  a  huge  quadruped,  whose 
daily  food  would  be  several  pounds  weight  of  animal  or 
vegetable  matter  —  a  bear  who  can  devour  the  carcass  of 
a  calf  at  a  single  meal  —  could  possibly  subsist  for  two 
months  on  the  paw-milk  which  M.  Buffon  has  described ! 

How  then  can  we  account  for  his  keeping  alive  ?  There 
need  be  no  difficulty  in  doing  so.  It  is  quite  possible  that 
during  this  long  sleep  the  digestive  power  or  process  is 
suspended,  or  only  carried  on  at  a  rate  infinitesimally 
email ;  that,  moreover,  life  is  sustained  and  the  blood  kept 
in  action  by  means  of  the  large  amount  of  fat  which  the 
bear  has  collected  previous  to  his  going  to  bed.  It  is 
certain  that,  just  at  their  annual  bedtime,  bears  are  fatter 
than  at  any  other  season  of  the  year.  The  ripening  of 
the  forest  fruits,  and  the  falling  of  various  seeds  of  mast- 
worts,  upon  which,  during  the  autumn,  bears  principally 
subsist,  then  supply  them  with  abundance,  and  nothing 
hinders  them  to  get  fat  and  go  to  sleep  upon  it.  They 
would  have  no  object  in  keeping  awake  :  were  they  to  do 
so,  in  those  countries  where  they  practise  hybernation, 
they  would  certainly  starve,  for,  the  ground  being  then 
frozen  hard,  they  could  not  dig  for  roots,  and  under  the 
deep  covering  of  snow  they  might  search  in  vain  for 
their  masts  and  berries.  As  to  foraging  on  birds  or 
other  quadrupeds,  bears  are  not  fitted  for  that.  They 
are  not  agile  enough  for  such  a  purpose. 

They  will  eat  both  when  they  can  catch  them  ;    but 


IIYBERNATION    OF    BEARS.  55 

they  cannot  always  catch  them  ;  and  if  they  had  no  other 
resource  in  the  snowy  season  the  bears  would  certainly 
starve.  To  provide  them  against  this  time  of  scarcity, 
nature  has  furnished  them  with  the  singular  power  of 
somnolence.  Indeed,  that  this  is  the  purpose  is  easily 
proved.  It  is  proved  by  the  simple  fact  that  those  bears 
belonging  to  warm  latitudes,  as  the  Bornean,  Malayan, 
and  even  the  black  American  of  the  Southern  States 
do  not  hybernate  at  all.  There  is  no  need  for  them  to 
do  so.  Their  unfrozen  forests  furnish  them  with  food 
all  the  year  round;  and  all  the  year  round  are  they 
seen  roaming  about  in  search  of  it.  Even  in  the  Arctic 
lands  the  polar  bear  keeps  afoot  all  the  year ;  his  diet 
not  being  vegetable,  and  therefore  not  snowed  up  in  win 
ter.  The  female  of  this  species  hides  herself  away ;  but 
that  is  done  for  another  purpose,  and  not  merely  to  save 
herself  from  starvation. 

That  the  stock  of  fat,  which  the  bear  lays  in  before 
going  to  sleep,  has  something  to  do  with  subsisting  him, 
is  very  evident  from  the  fact  that  it  is  all  gone  by  the 
time  he  awakes.  Then,  or  shortly  afterwards,  Master 
Bruin  finds  himself  as  thin  as  a  rail ;  and  were  he  to 
look  in  a  glass  just  then,  he  would  scarce  recognize  him 
self,  so  very  different  is  his  long  emaciated  carcass  from 
that  huge,  plump,  round  body,  that  two  months  before  he 
could  scarce  squeeze  through  the  entrance  to  his  cave ! 

Another  great  change  comes  over  him  during  his  pro 
longed  sleep.  On  going  to  bed,  he  is  not  only  very  fat, 
but  also  very  lazy  ;  so  much  so  that  the  merest  tyro  of  a 
hunter  can  then  circumvent  and  slay  him.  Naturally  a 
well-disposed  animal  —  we  are  speaking  only  of  the 


56  BRUIN. 

brown  bear  (ursus  arctos)  though  the  remark  will  hold 
good  of  several  other  species  —  he  is  at  this  period  more 
than  usually  civil  and  soft-tempered.  He  has  found  a 
sufficiency  of  vegetable  food,  which  is  more  congenial  to 
his  taste  than  animal  substances ;  and  he  will  not  molest 
living  creature  just  then,  if  li ving  creature  will  only  let  him 
alone.  Aroused  from  his  sleep,  however,  he  shows  a  dif 
ferent  disposition.  He  appears  as  if  he  had  got  up  "  wrong 
side  foremost."  His  head  aches,  his  belly  hungers,  and 
he  is  disposed  to  believe  that  some  one  has  stolen  upon 
him  while  asleep,  and  robbed  him  of  his  suet.  Under 
this  impression  he  issues  from  his  dark  chamber  in  very 
ill-humor,  indeed.  This  disposition  clings  to  him  for  a 
length  of  time ;  and  if  at  this  period,  during  his  morning 
rambles,  he  should  encounter  any  one  who  does  not  get 
"speedily  out  of  his  way,  the  party  thus  meeting  him  will 
find  him  a  very  awkward  customer.  It  is  then  that  he 
makes  havoc  among  the  flocks  and  herds  of  the  Scandi 
navian  shepherd  —  for  he  actually  does  commit  such  rav 
ages  —  and  even  the  hunter  who  meets  him  at  this 
season  will  do  well  to  "ware  bear." 

And  so  does  the  hunter ;  and  so  did  Alexis,  and  Ivan, 
and  Pouchskin.  All  three  of  them  were  well  enough 
acquainted  with  the  habits  of  the  bear  —  their  own  Rus 
sian  bear  —  to  know  that  they  should  act  with  caution  in 
approaching  him. 

And  in  this  wise  they  acted  ;  for,  instead  of  rushing  up 
to  the  mouth  of  the  hole,  and  making  a  great  riot,  they 
stole  forward  in  perfect  silence,  each  holding  his  gun 
cocked,  and  ready  to  give  Bruin  a  salute  the  moment 
he  should  show  his  snout  beyond  the  portals  of  his  den. 


HTBERNATION    OF   BEARS.  57 

Had  they  not  tracked  him  to  his  cave,  they  would  have 
acted  quite  differently.  Had  they  found  a  bear's  den  — 
within  which  they  knew  that  the  animal  was  indulging  in 
his  winter  sleep  —  they  would  not  have  cared  so  much 
how  they  approached  it.  Then  he  would  have  required 
a  good  deal  of  stirring  up  to  induce  him  to  show  himself, 
so  that  they  could  get  a  shot  at  him  ;  but  the  track  told 
them  that  this  one  had  been  up  and  abroad  —  perhaps  for 
several  days  —  and  as  the  new  snow,  in  all  likelihood, 
had  hindered  him  from  picking  up  much  to  eat,  he  would 
be  as  "  savage  as  a  meat-axe." 

Expecting  him  to  spring  out  almost  on  the  instant,  the 
three  took  stand  at  some  distance  from  the  mouth  of  the 
cave ;  and,  with  arms  in  readiness,  awaited  his  coming 
forth. 


58  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    X. 

BRUIN   AT    HOME  ? 

THE  entrance  to  the  cave,  if  cave  it  was,  was  an 
aperture  of  no  great  dimensions  —  about  large  enough  to 
admit  the  body  of  a  full-grown  bear,  and  no  bigger.  It 
appeared  to  be  a  hole  or  burrow,  rather  than  a  cave,  and 
ran  under  a  great  pine-tree,  among  whose  roots,  no  doubt, 
was  the  den  of  the  bear.  The  tree  itself  grew  up  out  of 
the  sloping  bank ;  and  its  great  rhizomes  stretched  over 
a  large  space,  many  of  them  appearing  above  the  surface 
soil.  In  front  of  the  aperture  was  a  little  ledge,  where 
the  snow  was  hacked  by  the  bear's  paws,  but  below  this 
ledge  the  bank  trended  steeply  down  —  its  slope  termi 
nating  in  the  bed  of  deeper  snow  already  described. 

As  stated,  the  three  hunters  had  taken  their  stand, 
but  not  all  together.  Directly  in  front  of  the  cave  was 
Pouchskin,  and  below  it,  of  course,  on  account  of  the 
sloping  bank.  He  was  some  six  paces  from  the  aperture. 
On  the  right  side  Ivan  had  been  placed,  while  Alexis 
had  passed  on,  and  now  stood  upon  the  left.  The  three 
formed  a  sort  of  isosceles  triangle,  of  wrhich  Pouchskin 
was  the  apex,  and  the  line  of  the  bank  the  base.  A  per 
pendicular  dropped  from  the  muzzle  of  Pouchskin's  gun 
would  have  entered  the  aperture  of  the  cave.  Of  course 


BRUIN   AT    HOME  ?  59 

Pouchskin's  was  the  post  of  danger ;  but  that  was  to  be 
expected. 

They  stood  a  good  while  in  silence.  No  signs  of 
Bruin  —  neither  by  sight  nor  hearing. 

It  was  then  resolved  that  some  stir  should  be  made  — 
a  noise  of  any  kind,  that  might  bring  the  beast  forth. 
They  coughed  and  talked  loudly,  but  all  to  no  purpose. 
They  shouted  at  length  with  like  fruitless  result  —  Bruin 
would  not  stir ! 

That  he  was  inside  none  of  them  doubted.  How 
could  they  ?  The  tracks  going  to  the  cave,  and  none 
coming  from  it,  set  that  question  at  rest.  Certainly  he 
was  in  his  den  ?  but  whether  asleep  or  not,  it  was  evi 
dent  he  took  no  heed  of  their  shouting. 

Some  other  means  must  be  adopted  to  get  him  out. 
He  must  be  stirred  up  with  a  pole  !  This  was  the  plan 
that  suggested  itself,  and  the  one  determined  upon. 

Pouchskin  started  off  to  procure  a  pole.  The  others 
kept  guard  —  still  holding  their  guns  in  readiness,  lest 
the  bear  might  make  a  rush  in  Pouchskin's  absence. 
But  Bruin  had  no  such  intention  ;  nor  was  his  presence 
betrayed  by  sight  or  sound,  until  Pouchskin  came  back. 
Fie  had  cut  a  pole  with  his  axe,  and  had  taken  the  pre 
caution  to  select  a  long  one.  A  young  sapling  it  was, 
that  when  cleared  of  its  branches  appeared  as  long  as  a 
hop-pole.  Pouchskin  knew  the  advantage  of  its  length. 
He  had  no  particular  wish  to  come  to  close  quarters  with 
the  bear. 

Creeping  back  pretty  nearly  into  his  old  place,  he  in 
serted  the  end  of  the  sapling  into  the  aperture  —  then 
rattled  it  against  the  sides,  and  waited  a  bit. 


60  BRUIN. 

No  response  from  Bruin ! 

Once  more  the  pole  was  pushed  in,  this  time  a  little 
further,  and  again  accompanied  with  similar  noisy  dem 
onstrations.  Bruin  neither  moves  nor  makes  sound  ! 

"  He  must  be  asleep  !  Try  a  little  further,  Pouch- 
bkin  !  " 

This  suggestion  came  from  the  impatient  Ivan. 

Encouraged  by  the  words  of  his  young  master,  Pouch- 
skin  approached  nearer  to  the  aperture,  and  buried  half 
of  the  pole  inside.  He  then  turned  the  stick  and  poked 
it  all  about,  but  could  touch  nothing  that  felt  like  a  bear. 
Growing  more  confident,  he  crept  yet  nearer,  and  pushed 
the  pole  up  till  he  could  touch  the  bottom  of  the  cave  — 
once  more  feeling  with  its  point  in  all  directions,  against 
the  further  end,  along  the  sides,  upwards  and  downwards, 
and  everywhere.  Still  he  touched  nothing  soft  —  nothing 
that  felt  as  the  shaggy  hide  of  a  bear  should  do  — 
nothing,  in  fact,  but  hard  rocks,  against  which  the  stick 
could  be  heard  rattling  wherever  he  pushed  it ! 

This  was  very  mysterious.  Pouchskin  was  an  old 
bear-hunter.  He  had  poked  his  pole  into  many  a  bur 
row  of  Bruin,  and  he  knew  well  enough  when  he  had 
touched  bottom.  He  could  tell  moreover  that  the  cave 
he  was  now  exploring  was  all  in  one  piece  —  a  single- 
roomed  house.  Had  there  been  any  second  or  inner 
chamber  he  would  have  found  the  aperture  that  led  to 
it ;  but  there  appeared  to  be  none. 

To  make  sure  of  this,  he  now  approached  quite  near 
to  the  entrance,  and  continued  to  gauge  the  cavity  with 
his  stick.  Alexis  and  Ivan  also  drew  near  —  one  on 
each  side  of  him  —  and  the  exploration  continued. 


BRUIN   AT   HOME?  61 

In  a  short  while,  however,  Pouchskin  became  nearly- 
satisfied  that  there  was  no  bear  in  the  den!  He  had 
groped  with  his  stick  all  round  and  round  it,  and  had 
come  in  contact  with  nothing  softer  than  a  rock  or  a 
root  of  the  tree.  As  a  last  resource  he  lay  down  on  the 
ground  to  listen,  placing  his  ear  close  to  the  mouth  of 
the  cave ;  and,  cautioning  his  young  masters  to  keep  silent, 
in  this  position  he  remained  for  some  seconds  of  time. 

Perhaps  it  was  fortunate  for  them,  if  not  for  him,  that 
they  attended  to  his  caution.  Their  silence  enabled  them 
to  hear  what  Pouchskin  could  not  —  placed  as  he  now 
was  —  and  that  was  a  sound  that  caused  the  young  bear- 
hunters  to  start  back  and  look  upwards,  instead  of  into 
the  cave. 

As  they  did  so,  a  sight  met  their  eyes  that  drew  from 
both  a  simultaneous  cry,  while  both  at  the  same  instant 
retreated  several  paces  from  the  spot,  elevating  their  guns 
as  they  went  backward. 

Slowly  moving  down  the  trunk  of  the  great  pine-tree 
appeared  an  animal  of  enormous  size.  Had  they  not 
been  expecting  something  of  the  kind  neither  could  have 
told  that  this  moving  object  was  an  animal :  since  at  first 
sight  neither  a  head  nor  limbs  could  be  distinguished  — 
only  an  immense  shapeless  mass  of  brown,  shaggy  hair. 

The  instant  after  a  huge  hairy  lirnb  was  protruded 
below,  and  then  another  both  terminating  in  broad  un- 
gulated  paws,  that  in  succession  griped  the  rough  bark  of 
the  tree,  causing  it  to  rattle  and  scale  off. 

Singular  as  its  shape  was  there  was  no  mistaking  the 
animal  that  was  making  this  retrograde  movement.  It 
was  Bruin  himself,  descending  the  tree  buttocks  down 
ward! 


BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

HAND    TO    HAND. 

ALEXIS  and  Ivan,  as  they  started  back,  simultaneously 
screamed  out  a  shout  of  warning  to  Pouchskin.  Both, 
almost  at  the  same  instant,  raised  their  guns,  and  fired 
into  the  buttocks  of  the  bear. 

Pouckskin  had  heard  their  cries,  but  not  the  prelimin 
ary  "  sniff  "  which  the  animal  had  uttered :  he  had  been 
too  eager  in  listening  inside  of  the  cave,  to  hear  aught 
that  was  passing  without.  He  heard  their  warning  cry, 
however,  and  the  reports  of  their  guns ;  but  not  in  time 
to  get  out  of  the  way.  Just  as  the  shots  were  fired,  he 
had  half  risen  from  his  recumbent  attitude  ;  but  the  bear 
at  that  moment  dropped  down  from  the  tree,  and  coming 
"  co-thump  "  on  the  back  of  the  old  guardsman,  once  more 
flattened  him  out  upon  his  face  ! 

Perhaps  it  would  have  been  as  well  for  Pouchskin  if 
he  had  quietly  remained  in  that  attitude  :  for  the  bear 
had  already  turned  from  him,  and  showed  signs  of  an 
intention  to  retreat ;  but  Pouchskin,  deeming  that  he  was 
in  the  worst  position  he  could  well  be  in,  scrambled  sud 
denly  to  his  feet,  and  made  a  "  grab  "  at  his  gun. 

This  show  of  fight  on  the  part  of  his  antagonist  —  and 
the  belief,  perhaps,  that  it  was  Pouchskin  that  had  so 


HAND    TO    HAND.  63 

rudely  tickled  his  posteriors  —  roused  the  fury  of  the 
bear ;  and  instead  of  exposing  his  hind  quarters  to  a  sec 
ond  assault,  he  charged  mouth  open  upon  the  ex-guards 
man.  By  this  time,  the  latter  had  recovered  his  gun,  and 
promptly  brought  the  piece  to  his  shoulder ;  but,  alas  ! 
the  gun  snapped  !  The  lock  had  been  wetted  in  the  snow- 
trap.  It  was  a  flint  lock,  and  the  priming  had  got  damped. 

The  failure  only  increased  the  fury  of  the  animal ;  and 
and  a  charge  of  swan-shot,  which  Ivan  had  the  same  in 
stant  fired  from  his  second  barrel,  still  further  irritated 
him. 

Pouchskin  drew  his  long-bladed  knife.  It  was  the  only 
weapon  he  could  lay  his  hand  upon,  for  the  axe,  which 
might  have  served  him  better,  had  been  left  above  on  the 
bank,  where  he  had  lopped  the  sapling. 

He  drew  his  knife,  therefore,  and  prepared  to  defend 
himself  in  a  hand  to  paw  struggle. 

He  might  still  have  retreated,  though  not  with  a  cer 
tainty  of  safety  —  for  in  the  hurry  of  the  moment  the 
bear  had  got  on  the  bank  above  him  ;  and  had  he  turned 
his  back,  the  fierce  quadruped  might  have  overtaken,  and 
knocked  him  down  at  his  will.  Pouchskin  thought  it 
better  to  face  the  bear,  and  receive  his  onslaught  at 
arm's  length. 

There  was  but  one  way  in  which  he  could  have  re 
treated,  and  that  was  backward  down  the  slope.  He 
might  make  ground  in  that  direction ;  and  it  occured 
to  him  to  do  so,  in  order  to  get  footing  on  a  more  level 
surface. 

The  bear  having  paused  a  moment  to  bite  the  place 
where  the  rifle  bullet  had  stung  him,  gave  Pouchskin  time 


64  BRUIN. 

to  gain  some  ground  backwards ;  but  only  a  few  paces  — 
since  the  whole  affair  did  not  occupy  a  tenth  of  the  time 
taken  in  describing  it. 

Just  as  Pouchskin  had  reached  the  bottom  of  the  slope, 
his  angry  assailant,  with  a  terrific  growl,  rushed  forth 
from  the  smoke,  and  galloped  directly  towards  him.  When 
about  three  feet  distant  from  the  hunter,  Bruin  reared 
upon  his  hind  legs,  in  the  attitude  of  a  prize-fighter ! 

Pouchskin  was  seen  to  lunge  forward  with  his  right 
arm  —  the  one  which  carried  his  knife,  and,  the  moment 
after,  both  man  and  beast  appeared  closed  together,  "  in 
grips." 

In  this  fashion  they  went  waltzing  over  the  snow,  the 
spray  of  which  rose  in  a  cloud  around  them ;  and  for 
a  while  they  were  seen  only  as  one  dark,  upright  form, 
in  confused  and  violent  motion  ! 

Ivan  was  uttering  cries  of  fear  —  fear  for  the  safety 
of  his  dearly-loved  Pouchskin ;  while  Alexis,  more  cool, 
was  rapidly  reloading  his  rifle,  —  knowing  that  the  surest 
means  of  saving  the  life  of  their  faithful  attendant  was 
to  encompass  the  death  of  the  bear. 

It  was  a  moment  of  real  peril  for  Pouchskin.  The 
bear  was  one  of  the  largest  and  fiercest  he  had  ever  en 
countered  ;  and,  perhaps,  had  he  examined  the  brute  more 
minutely  before  the  conflict  commenced,  he  would  have 
thought  twice  before  facing  him.  But  the  smoke  from 
the  guns  was  still  over  and  around  the  spot,  hanging  up 
on  the  damp  air.  Up  to  the  time  when  Pouchskin  re 
solved  to  make  stand,  he  had  not  yet  had  a  clear  view  of 
his  shaggy  antagonist.  "When  at  length  he  perceived  the 
formidable  proportions  of  the  animal,  it  was  too  late  to 
retreat ;  and  the  struggle  began  as  described. 


HAND    TO    HAND.  65 

Tn  brief  time  Alexis  — who  at  loading  was  quick  as  a 
tirailleur  —  had  recharged  his  piece,  and  was  now  hasten 
ing  up  to  the  rescue. 

Without  going  quite  close  he  dared  not  fire :  for,  in  the 
way  that  man  and  bear  were  dancing  about,  there  would 
be  as  much  danger  of  killing  the  one  as  the  other. 

All  at  once,  however,  they  appeared  to  separate.  Pouch- 
skin  had  torn  himself  out  of  the  bear's  clutches,  and,  evi 
dently  disinclined  to  a  renewal  of  the  embrace,  was  re 
treating  backward,  over  the  snow,  still  hotly  pursued  by 
the  animal. 

At  this  moment  Alexis  would  have  fired  ;  but,  unfortu 
nately,  the  direction  in  which  Pouchskin  was  going  kept 
his  body  nearly  in  a  line  with  that  of  the  animal ;  and 
Alexis  could  not  fire  without  danger  of  hitting  him. 

The  chase  led  across  the  ravine,  arid  of  course  over 
the  bed  of  snow.  The  pursued  was  doing  his  best  to  es 
cape.  But  the  pursuer  had  the  advantage  —  for  while 
the  man  was  breaking  through  at  every  step,  the  broad- 
pawed  quadruped  glided  over  the  frozen  crust  without 
sinking  an  inch. 

Pouchskin  had  got  a  little  the  start,  but  his  pursuer 
was  fast  gaining  upon  him.  Once  or  twice,  indeed,  the 
bear  was  close  enough  to  touch  Pouchskin's  skirts  with 
his  extended  snout ;  but  the  necessity  of  rearing  up,  be 
fore  making  a  stroke  with  his  paw,  required  him  to  get 
still  nearer,  and  Bruin  knew  that. 

He  had,  however,  got  near  enough  even  for  this  ;  and 
had  risen  on  his  hind  feet,  with  the  intention  of  clawing 
down  his  victim.  Ivan  and  Alexis  simultaneously  ut 
tered  a  cry  of  dismay ;  but  before  the  dangerous  stroke 

E 


66  BRUIN. 

could  descend,  he  for  whom  it  was  intended  had  sunk  out 
of  sight ! 

At  first,  the  young  hunters  believed  the  blow  had  been 
struck,  and  that  Pouchskin  had  fallen  prostrate  under  it. 
They  saw  the  bear  spring  forward  as  if  to  cover  the 
fallen  man ;  but  the  next  moment  their  terror  was  min 
gled  with  astonishment  on  seeing,  or  rather  not  seeing, 
either  man  or  bear  :  both  had  suddenly  disappeared  ! 


A   MYSTERIOUS    DISAPPEARANCE.  67 


CHAPTER    XII. 

A   MYSTERIOUS   DISAPPEARANCE. 

THE  sudden  disappearance  of  both  man  and  bear  would 
no  doubt  have  sadly  perplexed  our  young  hunters,  had  it 
not  been  for  Pouchskin's  previous  adventure.  "With  that 
still  fresh  in  their  memory,  they  were  at  no  loss  to  com 
prehend  what  had  occurred.  While  eagerly  endeavor 
ing  to  escape  from  his  antagonist,  Pouchskin  had,  no 
doubt,  forgotten  the  dangerous  snow-bridge  ;  and,  just  as 
before,  he  had  broken  through  it. 

This  time,  however,  it  was  no  laughing  matter.  Pouch- 
shin  was  no  longer  playing  a  solitary  Jack-in-the-box,  but, 
in  all  likelihood,  he  was  under  the  huge  body  of  the 
savage  monster,  in  the  act  of  being  torn  to  pieces  by 
his  teeth,  or  perhaps  drowned  in  the  subnivean  stream. 
Whether  the  bear  had  sprung  voluntarily  after  him,  or, 
in  the  impetus  of  charging,  had  been  himself  precipitated 
into  the  snow  chasm  without  the  power  of  preventing  it, 
could  not  for  the  moment  be  known.  The  young  hunters 
suspected  that  the  bear  had  fallen  in  rather  against  his 
will ;  for  certainly  he  had  been  seen  to  go  down  in  rather 
an  awkward  and  blundering  manner,  his  hind  legs  pitch 
ing  upwards  as  he  broke  through. 

Whether  the  plunge  had  been  voluntary  or  against  his 


68  BRUIN. 

will  could  matter  but  little.  He  must  be  now  upon  top 
of  the  ex-guardsman  ;  and,  knowing  the  implacable  fury 
of  these  animals  when  roused  to  resentment,  his  young 
masters  had  no  other  idea  but  that  their  attendant  would 
be  either  drowned  or  torn  to  pieces. 

As  a  last  hope,  however,  Alexis  rushed  on  over  the 
snow,  holding  his  rifle  before  him,  and  prepared  to  fire 
its  contents  into  the  bear  the  moment  he  should  get  sight 
of  the  animal. 

As  he  advanced,  he  could  hear  a  plunging  and  splash 
ing  of  water,  with  other  noises,  —  as  the  snorting  and 
growling  of  the  bear,  and  the  crashing  of  frozen  snow, 
all  mixed  up  in  confusion  of  sounds.  Concluding  that 
these  noises  were  caused  by  the  struggle  still  going  on 
between  the  man  and  the  bear,  he  hurried  forward. 
Strange !  there  came  no  voice  from  Pouchskin  ! 

When  within  about  three  paces  of  the  broken  edge,  an 
object  came  under  his  eyes,  that  caused  him  to  halt  in  his 
track.  That  object  was  the  snout  of  the  bear,  that  was 
projected  upward  above  the  surface  of  the  snow.  The 
eyes  of  the  animal  were  not  visible,  nor  any  other  part 
of  it,  except  the  aforesaid  snout,  and  about  six  inches 
of  the  muzzle. 

The  thought  instantly  occurred  to  Alexis,  that  the  bear 
had  reared  upon  his  hind  feet,  and  was  endeavoring  to 
clamber  out ;  and  this  was  true  enough,  for  the  instant 
after,  he  was  seen  to  spring  perpendicularly  upward,  until 
his  whole  head  and  part  of  his  neck  became  visible. 
Only  for  an  instant,  however ;  for  Bruin,  who  now  ap 
peared  to  be  playing  Jack-in-the-box,  sank  once  more  out 
of  sight,  snout  and  ah1. 


A   MYSTERIOUS    DISAPPEARANCE.  69 

The  young  hunter  was  just  regretting  that  he  had  not 
taken  a  snap  shot  at  the  animal's  head ;  but  before  ten 
seconds  of  time  had  elapsed,  the  snout  was  again  popped 
up  by  the  edge  of  the  hole.  In  all  probability  the  bear 
would  make  a  second  attempt  to  spring  out. 

Ale-xis  was  therefore  waiting  till  the  whole  head  should 
show  itself;  but  quick  as  a  flash  of  lightning,  it  occurred 
to  him  that  the  brute  might  at  the  second  effort  succeed 
in  reaching  the  surface  of  the  snow,  and  then  he  would 
himself  be  in  danger.  To  avoid  this  contingency,  he  re 
solved  to  fire  at  once  ;  not  at  the  snout,  for,  although  he 
could  not  have  failed  to  send  his  bullet  through  it,  he 
knew  that  that  would  not  kill  the  bear,  but  only  render 
him  more  desperately  furious,  if  such  a  thing  had  been 
possible. 

It  was  the  bear's  skull  he  meant  to  take  aim  at. 
From  the  position  of  the  animal's  snout,  of  course  he 
could  tell  exactly  where  the  head  must  be,  though  he 
could  not  see  it. 

Had  Alexis  been  an  unskilled  marksman,  he  would 
have  stood  his  ground  ;  and,  guessing  the  position  of 
the  bear's  head,  would  have  fired  at  it  through  the 
snow.  But  he  did  not  act  in  this  manner.  He  had 
scientific  knowledge  sufficient  to  tell  him  that  his  bullet, 
sent  in  a  slanting  direction,  might  glance  off  the  frozen 
crust,  and  miss  the  mark  altogether.  To  insure  its 
direction,  therefore,  he  instantly  glided  two  steps  for 
ward,  poked  the  barrel  of  his  piece  through  the  snow, 
until  the  muzzle  almost  touched  the  head  of  the  bear,  — 
and  then  fired  ! 

For  some  seconds  he  saw  nothing.     The  smoke  of  the 


70  BRUIN. 

gunpowder,  as  well  as  the  snow-dust  blown  up  before  the 
muzzle  of  the  gun,  formed  a  dense  cloud  over  the  spot. 
But  though  Alexis  could  not  see  the  effect  of  his  shot,  he 
could  tell  by  what  he  heard  that  his  bullet  had  done  good 
work.  A  loud  "  swattering "  at  the  bottom  of  the  hole 
proclaimed  that  the  bear  was  struggling  in  the  water ; 
while  his  piteous  whines  and  faint  grunting  told  that  his 
fierce  strength  was  fast  passing  away. 

As  soon  as  the  smoke  had  cleared  off,  Alexis  upon 
his  knees  crept  forward  to  the  edge,  and  looked  over  it. 
There  was  blood  upon  the  snow ;  the  side  against  which 
the  bear  had  stood  was  crimsoned  with  streams  of  it ; 
and  below,  in  the  water,  among  the  clumps  of  broken 
snow-crust,  appeared  a  dark  brown  mass,  which  Alexis 
knew  to  be  the  body  of  the  animal. 

It  was  still  in  motion ;  but  as  it  was  in  a  prostrate  atti 
tude,  and  making  only  feeble  efforts,  the  young  hunter 
knew  that  the  life  was  nearly  out  of  it. 

It  was  not  this  that  was  now  causing  him  to  look  down 
with  such  an  anxious  and  troubled  countenance.  It  was 
his  apprehensions  for  Pouchskin.  Where  was  he  ?  At 
the  bottom  of  the  crater-like  pit  Alexis  could  see  the 
body  of  the  animal,  but  nothing  of  a  man,  —  neither 
arms,  legs,  nor  body.  Could  he  be  under  the  bear,  con 
cealed  by  the  shaggy  hair  ?  Was  he  hidden  under  the 
black  water  that  filled  the  bottom  of  the  ravine?  —  or, 
horrible  thought !  was  he  dead,  and  had  his  body  been 
carried  off  by  the  current  that  rushed  rapidly  under  the 
snow? 

This  was  not  improbable,  for  Alexis  could  see  that 
there  was  a,  sort  of  arched  tunnel  between  the  snow  and 


A   MYSTERIOUS    DISAPPEARANCE.  71 

the  water,  quite  large  enough  to  have  admitted  the  body 
of  a  man ! 

In  agony  he  cried  out,  calling  Pouchskin  by  name. 
He  was  repeating  his  despairing  invocation,  when  all  at 
once  a  loud  laugh  echoed  in  his  ears,  uttered  close  behind 
him.  In  the  laughter  he  recognized  the  voice  of  Ivan. 

Alexis  suddenly  leaped  to  his  feet,  wondering  what 
on  earth  could  be  the  cause  of  this  ill-timed  merriment. 
He  turned  towards  Ivan  with  the  intention  of  chiding 
him ;  but  at  that  moment  an  object  fell  under  his  eye, 
that  hindered  him  from  carrying  his  intention  into  effect. 
On  the  contrary,  the  sight  he  saw  caused  him  such  joy, 
that  he  could  not  restrain  himself  from  joining  Ivan  in 
his  laughter.  No  wonder.  The  sight  was  odd  enough 
to  have  drawn  a  smile  from  a  dying  man.  A  spectacle 
more  ludicrous  could  scarce  have  been  conceived. 

A  little  further  down  the  ravine,  and  about  ten  paces 
from  where  the  boys  were  standing,  an  object  was  seen 
protruding  above  the  snow.  It  was  about  ten  inches  in 
vertical  diameter,  something  less  horizontally,  and  of  a 
roundish  or  oval  shape.  In  color  it  was  almost  white  as 
the  snow  itself:  for,  indeed,  it  was  sprinkled  over  with 
this  material  out  of  the  bosom  of  which  it  had  just 
emerged.  A  stranger  coming  upon  the  ground  might 
have  been  sorely  puzzled  to  make  out  what  it  was  ;  but 
not  so  Ivan,  who,  on  first  beholding  it,  as  it  popped 
upward  through  the  frozen  crust,  recognized  it  as  the 
head  of  Pouchskin.  Alexis  also  made  it  out  at  the  first 
glance  ;  and  it  was  the  comic  twinkle  of  Pouchskin's 
eyes  —  denoting  that  no  great  damage  had  happened  to 
him  —  that  led  Alexis  to  join  his  brother  in  the  laughter. 


72  BRUIN. 

Their  merriment,  however,  was  of  short  continuance  — 
only  an  involuntary  burst,  for  a  moment's  reflection  told 
them  that  Pouchskin,  although  they  saw  him  alive,  might 
nevertheless  have  sustained  some  serious  injury  ;  and  both 
at  the  thought  hastened  up  towards  the  head. 

On  getting  close  to  it,  however,  Ivan  was  unable  to 
control  himself,  and  once  more  gave  way  to  a  fit  of  in 
voluntary  laughter.  The  head  of  the  old  guardsman, 
standing  up  like  a  sphinx  above  the  frozen  surface,  — 
his  grizzled  hair  powdered  all  over  with  snow  like  the 
poll  of  some  grand  flunkey,  —  his  long  moustache  loaded 
with  it,  —  his  eyes  sparkling  and  twinkling,  and  his 
features  set  in  a  serio-comic  expression,  —  all  combined 
to  form  a  picture  that  it  was  difficult  to  contemplate  with 
seriousness. 

Alexis,  however,  anxious  to  ascertain  as  to  whether 
Pouchskin  had  received  any  dangerous  wound,  did  not 
this  time  join  in  his  brother's  mirth ;  and,  as  soon  as  they 
came  near  enough,  his  inquiries  were  directed  to  that 
end. 

"  Only  scratched  a  bit,  masters ! "  answered  the  old 
guardsman,  —  "  only  scratched  a  bit  —  nothing  much ; 
but  the  bear  —  the  bear  !  where  has  the  brute  gone  ?  " 

"  To  his  long  home,"  answered  Alexis ;  "  you  need  be 
under  no  further  apprehension  about  him.  I  think  your 
knife  must  have  wellnigh  settled  his  account,  for  he  was 
unable  to  get  out  of  the  hole  again ;  but,  fortunately,  I 
have  finished  him  with  a  bullet,  and  it  only  remains  for 
us  to  haul  his  carcass  up  and  take  the  skin  off  it.  First, 
however,  let  us  endeavor  to  extricate  you,  my  good 
Pouchskin  ;  and  then  you  can  tell  us  by  what  means  you 


A   MYSTERIOUS    DISAPPEARANCE.  73 

have  managed  to  make  an  escape,  that  certainly  appears 
miraculous  ! " 

So  saying,  Alexis,  assisted  by  Ivan,  commenced 
digging  away  the  hard  crust  that  surrounded  the  neck  of 
Pouchskin ;  and  kept  on  at  it,  until  they  had  uncovered 
his  shoulders.  Then  seizing  him  by  the  arms  —  one  on 
each  side  —  they  drew  him  up,  till  his  feet  once  more 
rested  on  the  surface  of  the  snow. 


74  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

A    SUBNIVEAN    ESCAPE. 

POUCHSKIN  proceeded  to  describe  the  manner  of  his 
escape  —  his  young  masters  listening  to  him  with  great 
interest  —  although  they  already  guessed  pretty  nearly 
how  it  had  been  accomplished.  Still  there  were  some 
points  not  so  clear  to  them,  which  the  old  guarsdman 
detailed. 

In  the  first  place,  he  had  retreated  from  the  bear,  not 
because  he  believed  himself  vanquished,  but  because  he 
had  lost  his  knife.  Its  handle,  wet  with  blood,  had 
slipped  from  his  grasp  ;  and  he  could  not  tell  what  had 
become  of  it !  Finding  himself  unarmed,  of  course  his 
next  thought  was  to  get  out  of  Bruin's  way,  for  what 
could  an  unarmed  man  do  in  the  embrace  of  a  bear  — • 
and  such  a  bear  ? 

He  then  turned  and  ran ;  but  he  had  quite  forgotten 
the  dangerous  character  of  the  snow-bed  —  the  bridge 
that  had  refused  to  carry  him  before  ;  though,  indeed, 
over  it  was  the  only  direction  he  could  have  taken.  Had 
he  attempted  to  run  to  the  right  or  left,  his  course  must 
have  been  up-hill ;  and  the  bear  would  have  been  cerlain 
to  overhaul  him  in  a  couple  of  leaps.  After  all,  he  had 
taken  the  proper  direction;  and,  as  it  proved  in  the 


A    SUBNIVEAN   ESCAPE.  75 

end,  his  breaking  through  was  the  most  fortunate  accident 
that  could  possibly  have  happened  to  him.  Had  it  not 
chanced  so,  he  would,  in  all  probability,  have  fallen  into 
the  clutches  of  the  bear,  and  been  torn  to  shreds  by  the 
infuriated  animal. 

Well,  on  touching  bottom,  he  felt  the  water  among  his 
feet,  and  just  then  remembered  how  it  had  been  before. 
He  remembered  the  hollow  arch-way  under  the  snow, 
and,  seeing  the  bear  above,  and  in  the  act  of  being  precipi 
tated  on  top  of  him,  he  suddenly  ducked  his  head,  and 
pushed  himself  into  the  tunnel.  He  could  feel  the  bear 
falling  upon  him  behind,  and  the  weight  of  the  animal's 
body,  as  it  was  precipitated  downwards,  forced  him  still 
further  under  the  snow-bridge. 

Once  in,  he  continued  on  down  the  stream,  working 
both  with  head  and  arms,  and  clearing  a  space  that 
would  allow  his  body  to  pass.  The  soft  snow  was 
easily  pressed  out  of  the  way ;  and,  after  going  as  far 
as  he  deemed  necessary,  he  turned  to  the  right,  and 
worked  his  way  upward  to  the  surface. 

It  was  while  he  was  thus  engaged  that  Alexis  had 
been  squaring  accounts  with  the  bear.  The  fierce  crea 
ture  had  not  followed  Pouchskm  under  the  snow.  In 
all  probability,  his  sudden  "souse"  into  the  water  had 
astonished  Bruin  himself;  —  from  that  moment  all  his 
thoughts  were  to  provide  for  his  own  safety,  and,  with 
this  intention,  he  was  endeavoring  to  get  back  to  the  sur 
face  of  the  snowdrift,  when  Alexis  first  caught  sight  of 
his  snout. 

At  the  moment  that  Alexis  fired  the  final  shot,  or  just  a 
little  after  it,  Pouchskm  had  popped  up  his  head  through 


76  BRUIN. 

the  congealed  crust  of  the  snow,  and  elicited  from  Ivan 
those  peals  of  laughter  that  had  so  much  astonished  his 
brother. 

Pouchskin,  however,  had  not  come  unscathed  out  of 
the  "  scrimmage."  On  examining  the  old  guardsman,  it 
was  found  that  the  bear  had  clawed  him  severely  ;  and  a 
piece  of  skin,  of  several  inches  square  was  peeled  from 
his  left  shoulder.  The  flesh,  too,  was  rather  badly  lacer 
ated. 

Alexis  was  not  without  some  surgical  skill ;  and,  with 
out  suffering  a  moment  to  be  lost,  he  dressed  the  wound 
in  the  best  manner  possible  under  the  circumstances.  A 
clean  handkerchief,  which  Ivan  chanced  to  have,  served 
as  a  covering  for  the  scar ;  and  this  being  tied  on  se 
curely,  with  a  strip  torn  from  the  sleeve  of  Pouchskin's 
own  shirt,  left  the  wounded  guardsman  in  a  condition  to 
recover,  as  soon  as  it  might  please  nature  to  permit. 
Nothing  more  could  have  been  done  by  the  most  "  skil 
ful  practitioner." 

Their  next  business  was  to  look  after  the  bear.  On 
going  back  to  the  hole,  and  gazing  into  it,  the  animal,  as 
Alexis  had  anticipated,  was  quite  dead ;  and  the  water, 
partially  dammed  up  by  the  huge  carcass,  was  flowing 
over  it. 

Ivan,  who  had  hitherto  done  least  of  all  to  secure  the 
prize,  now  became  the  most  active  of  the  three ;  and, 
leaping  down  upon  the  body  of  the  great  brute,  he  looped 
the  rope  around  one  of  its  hind  legs,  and  then  stood  on 
one  side  to  help  the  rest  in  raising  it  upward. 

Alexis  and  Pouchskin  commenced^  hauling  on  the  other 
end  of  the  rope,  and  the  vast  mass  slowly  ascended  up- 


A    SUBNIVEAN   ESCAPE.  77 

ward,  Ivan  pushing  frbm  below,  and  guiding  it  past  the 
inequalities  of  the  snow.  It  would  have  been  a  different 
sort  of  a  task,  to  have  hauled  Bruin  out  of  such  a  hole 
three  months  earlier  in  the  season ;  that  is,  about  the 
time  he  had  lain  down  for  his  winter  siesta.  Then  he 
would  have  turned  six  or  seven  hundred  pounds  upon 
the  scales,  whereas  at  this  time  he  was  not  more  than 
half  the  weight.  His  skin,  however,  was  in  just  as  good 
condition  as  if  he  had  been  fat ;  and  it  was  this,  and  not 
his  carcass,  that  our  hunters  cared  for. 

After  some  tough  pulling,  accompanied  by  a  good  deal 
of  shouting  from  Ivan  at  the  bottom  of  the  hole,  the  huge 
carcass  was  dragged  forth,  and  lay  at  full  length  along 
the  frozen  snow.  It  was  still  necessary  to  raise  it  to  the 
branch  of  a  tree,  in  order  that  it  might  be  skinned  in  a 
proper  manner.  This,  however,  could  be  easily  accom 
plished  by  means  of  the  rope. 

Up  to  this  time  Pouchskin  had  been  puzzled  about  the 
loss  of  his  knife.  Everywhere  he  looked  for  it ;  but  it 
was  nowhere  to  be  found.  All  the  surface  over  which 
he  had  danced  with  the  bear  was  carefully  examined, 
and  the  snow  scraped  up  to  the  depth  of  several  inches. 
There  was  the  blood  of  the  bear,  and  some  of  Pouch- 
skin's  own  too,  but  no  knife  !  Could  it  have  got  into  the 
water  ?  No.  Pouchskin  declared  that  he  had  dropped 
it  near  the  edge  of  the  snow-bed :  for  this  accident,  as 
already  stated,  had  been  the  cause  of  his  retreat  from 
the  conflict. 

It  was  only  when  the  great  carcass  was  being  hauled 
up  to  the  branch,  that  the  lost  knife  made  its  appearance. 
Then,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  young  hunters,  as  well 


78  BRUIN. 

as  to  Pouchskin  himself,  the  knife  was  seen  sticking  in 
the  shoulder  of  the  bear !  There  it  had  been  when  the 
haft  slipped  from  his  hands,  and  there  had  it  remained. 
No  doubt  that  stab  would  have  given  the  bear  his  death 
blow  ;  but  still  more  fatal  had  been  the  bullet  from  the 
rifle  of  Alexis,  which  had  passed  through  Bruin's  brain, 
crushing  his  skull  like  a  shell ! 

The  skinning  of  the  animal  was  accomplished  with 
great  care ;  for  the  coat  was  one  of  the  finest,  and  the 
boys  knew  with  what  interest  it  would  be  regarded  on  its 
arrival  at  the  palace  Grodonoff.  They  spared  no  pains, 
therefore,  in  removing  it  from  the  carcass ;  and  after  the 
work  was  finished,  it  was  neatly  folded  up,  tied  with  the 
rope,  and  placed  like  a  knapsack  on^Pouchskin's  shoul 
ders. 

Of  the  carcass  they  took  no  heed ;  but  leaving  it  to 
the  wolves,  the  gluttons,  or  any  other  carnivorous  crea 
tures  that  might  chance  to  stray  that  way,  they  turned 
back  up  the  ravine  ;  and,  striking  off  on  a  path  that  led 
towards  the  tent  of  the  Laplander,  reached  their  smoky 
quarters  in  good  time  for  dinner. 


RINGING    THE    BEAR.  79 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

RINGING   THE   BEAR. 

THE  bear  thus  killed  was  the  true  ursus  arctos,  or 
brown  bear  —  the  latter  name  being  given  to  him  from 
the  color  of  his  fur,  which,  in  ninety-nine  cases  out  of 
every  hundred,  is  a  uniform  brown.  The  name,  how 
ever,  is  not  appropriate,  since  there  other  brown  bears 
belonging  to  very  different  species. 

Having  secured  his  robe,  as  we  have  seen,  the  next 
care  of  our  hunters  was  to  obtain  a  skin  from  the  body 
of  his  black  brother.  They  were  well  aware  that  this 
would  not  be  so  easy  of  accomplishment,  from  the  simple 
fact,  that  the  ursus  niger,  or  "  European  black  bear,"  is 
one  of  the  rarest  of  animals  —  indeed,  so  few  of  them  are 
obtained,  that  out  of  a  thousand  skins  of  the  European 
bear  that  pass  through  the  hands  of  the  furriers,  not 
more  than  two  or  three  will  be  found  to  be  of  the  black 
variety. 

It  is  true  that  they  were  just  in  the  country  where 
they  would  be  most  likely  to  fall  in  with  one ;  for  it  is 
only  in  the  northern  zone  of  Europe  (and  Asia  also) 
where  the  black  ones  are  found.  This  variety  is  not  en 
countered  in  the  southern  ranges  of  mountains  in  the 
Alps,  Pyrenees,  and  Carpathians.  Whether  this  black 


80  BRUIN. 

bear  is  a  distinct  species  was  not  a  question  with  them. 
They  knew  that  by  most  naturalists  he  is  recognized  ns  ;i 
variety  —  by  some  a  permanent  one.  It  was,  therefore, 
certainly  included  in  the  conditions  of  their  father's  let 
ter  ;  and  a  skin  must  be  procured  coute  qui  coute.  This 
done,  they  would  have  no  further  business  in  Lapland, 
but  might  proceed  at  once  to  the  Pyrenees. 

It  was  not  necessary  to  procure  skins  of  the  gray  or 
silver  bear,  nor  that  with  the  white  ring  round  its  neck — 
known  as  the  ringed  or  collard  bear.  As  Alexis  had 
said,  it  is  acknowledged  by  all  who  know  the  ursus  arctos 
in  his  native  haunts,  that  these  are  mere  accidental  va 
rieties.  The  true  "  collared  bear  "  (ursus  collaris)  is  not 
found  in  Lapland,  —  only  in  northern  Asia  and  Kams- 
chatka,  and  it  is  he  that  is  known  as  the  "  Siberian 
bear."  The  boys  therefore  were  not  "  bound  "  by  their 
covenant  to  procure  these  varieties ;  but  for  all  that,  they 
were  gratified  at  going  beyond  the  strict  letter  of  their 
agreement,  which  good  luck  enabled  them  to  do ;  for, 
while  scouring  the  country  in  search  of  the  ursus  niger, 
they  chanced  upon  another  brown  bear,  a  female,  with 
three  cubs,  one  of  which  was  brown,  like  the  mother ; 
the  second  had  the  white  ring  round  its  neck,  and  the 
third  was  as  gray  as  a  little  badger !  All  four  were 
taken  ;  and  the  young  hunters  not  only  had  the  gratifica 
tion  of  being  able  to  send  the  different  varieties  of  skins  to 
their  father's  museum,  but  an  additional  satisfaction  was 
afforded  to  Alexis,  the  naturalist,  by  this  grand  family 
capture.  It  proved  incontestably,  what  he  already  sus 
pected,  and  what,  moreover,  the  native  peasants  and  hunt 
ers  had  told  him,  that  the  "  silver  "  and  "  ringed  "  bears 
were  identical  with  the  ursus  arctos. 


RINGING    THE    BEAR.  81 

Notwithstanding  their  joy  at  the  capture  of  the  old  she 
and  her  particolored  pets,  they  were  yet  very  anxious 
about  the  black  bear.  They  had  hunted  all  the  forests 
and  mountains  for  miles  around,  and  had  even  succeeded 
in  killing  several  other  specimens  of  "  Brownie,"  but  no 
"  Blackie  "  was  to  be  met  with. 

It  had  now  got  known  among  the  native  hunters  what 
they  were  in  search  of ;  and,  as  they  had  offered  a  lib 
eral  reward  to  any  one  who  could  guide  them  to  the 
haunt  or  den  of  a  real  black  bear,  it  was  not  unlikely 
they  should  soon  hear  of  one. 

In  this  expectation  they  were  not  deceived.  About  a 
week  after  the  offer  had  been  proclaimed,  a  Finnish  peas 
ant  (one  of  the  Quans,  as  they  are  called)  made  his  ap 
pearance  at  their  head-quarters,  and  announced  that  he 
had  "  ringed  "  a  black  bear.  It  was  welcome  tidings  ; 
and  the  young  Russians  at  once  preceded  to  the  indi 
cated  place. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  explain  what  the  man  meant 
when  he  told  them  he  had  "  ringed  "  the  bear  ;  since  that 
is  a  phrase  of  specific  meaning  throughout  the  countries 
of  Scandinavia.  In  these  countries,  when  the  track  of  a 
bear  is  observed  in  the  snow,  it  is  followed  up  by  the  per 
son  who  has  discovered  it,  with  the  intention  of  "  ring 
ing"  the  animal — that  is,  ascertaining  as  near  as  may  be, 
the  locality  in  which  it  may  have  halted  from  its  rambles, 
and  lain  down  to  rest.  Of  course,  if  the  person  thus 
trailing  the  bear  be  a  hunter  —  or  if  it  be  a  party  of 
hunters  actually  engaged  in  the  chase,  they  will  keep  on 
until  they  have  found  the  bear  in  his  den.  But  in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten,  bears  are  not  pursued  in  this  fashion. 


82  BRUIN. 

Generally,  tlieir  haunt  —  whether  temporary  or  other 
wise  —  has  been  ascertained  beforehand,  by  some  shep 
herd  or  wood-cutter,  and  a  party  of  hunters  then  proceeds 
to  the  spot,  and  makes  a  surround  of  the  animal  before 
rousing  him  from  his  lair. 

This  "  surround,"  however,  has  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  the  "  ringing  "  of  the  bear,  which  is  an  operation 
of  a  different  character,  and  is  performed  by  the  party 
who  has  first  chanced  upon  the  tracks.  The  mode  of 
proceeding  is  simply  to  follow  the  trail,  or  spar,  of  the 
bear  as  silently  as  possible  —  until  the  tracker  has  reason 
to  believe  that  the  animal  is  not  far  off.  This  he  discov 
ers  by  observing  that  the  spar  no  longer  trends  in  a 
direct  line,  but  doubles  about  in  zigzags,  and  backward 
turnings  upon  itself;  for  when  a  bear  intends  to  lie 
down,  it  is  his  habit  to  quarter  the  ground  in  every 
direction,  precisely  as  does  the  hare  before  squatting  in 
her  form.  Many  other  animals  observe  a  similar  cau 
tion  before  going  to  rest. 

The  bear-tracker  having  reached  this  point,  then  leaves 
the  track  altogether,  and  makes  a  circuit  round  that  part 
of  the  forest  within  which  he  suspects  Bruin  to  have 
couched  himself.  This  circuit  is  of  greater  or  less 
diameter,  according  to  circumstances  —  depending  on  the 
season  of  the  year,  nature  of  the  ground,  and  a  variety 
of  other  considerations.  While  going  round  this  circle, 
if  it  should  be  seen  that  the  track  of  the  bear  leads 
beyond  it,  then  that  "ring"  is  given  up,  and  another 
commenced  further  forward.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
the  tracker  gets  round  to  the  place  whence  he  first 
started,  without  again  coming  upon  the  spar,  he  concludes 


RINGING   THE   BEAR.  83 

that  the  bear  must  be  lying  somewhere  within  the  cir 
cumference  which  he  has  traced,  and  will  there  be  found. 
This,  then,  is  termed  "  ringing "  the  bear. 

You  may  wonder  why  the  man  does  not  follow  up  the 
spar  until  he  actually  reaches  the  den  or  lair  of  the 
animal.  That  is  easily  explained.  The  tracker  is  not 
always  a  bear-hunter,  and  even  if  he  were,  it  would  not 
be  prudent  for  him  to  approach  a  bear  without  assist 
ants,  who,  by  surrounding  the  animal,  should  cut  off  its 
retreat.  Were  he  to  go  forward  direct  to  the  bear's 
hiding-place,  Bruin  would,  in  all  probability,  discover 
him  before  he  could  approach  within  shot ;  and,  making 
a  bolt,  might  carry  him  a  chase  of  ten  or  twelve  miles 
before  stopping.  The  brown  bear  often  does  so. 

The  tracker,  having  ascertained  the  circle  within 
which  the  animal  has  made  its  temporary  resting-place, 
next  proceeds  to  warn  the  hunters  of  his  village  or  settle 
ment  ;  and  then  a  large  party  go  out  for  the  destruction 
of  the  common  enemy.  They  deploy  around  the  ring, 
arid  closing  inward,  are  pretty  sure  to  find  the  bear  either 
asleep  in  his  den,  or  just  starting  out  of  it,  and  trying  to 
get  off. 

The  "ring"  will  usually  keep  for  several  days  — 
sometimes  for  weeks  —  for  the  bear,  especially  in  winter 
time  will  remain  in  the  vicinity  of  his  lair  for  long  spells 
at  a  time.  Frequently  several  days  will  elapse  before 
any  hunters  arrive  on  the  ground  ;  but  if  the  bear  should 
have  strayed  off  in  the  mean  time,  his  tracks  in  the  snow 
will  still  enable  them  to  follow  and  find  him.  If,  how 
ever,  fresh  snow  should  have  fallen,  after  the  bear  has 
made  his  exit  from  the  marked  circle,  then,  of  course,  the 


84  BRUIN. 

search  will  prove  a  blank,  and  Bruin  make  his  escape  — 
at  least  out  of  that  "  ring." 

One  of  the  most  singular  features  of  this  custom  is, 
that  he  who  has  succeeded  in  "  ringing "  a  bear,  is  re 
garded  as  the  lawful  proprietor  of  the  animal  —  or  rather 
of  the  "  ring  "  and  can  dispose  of  his  right  to  any  hunt 
ing-party  he  pleases.  Of  course  he  cannot  guarantee  the 
killing  of  the  bear :  that  is  left  to  the  skill  of  the  hunters, 
who  must  take  their  chance.  The  tracker  only  answers 
for  a  bear  being  found  within  a  prescribed  circle,  of  which 
he  gives  proof  by  pointing  out  the  spar.  With  such 
conditions,  established  by  long  and  well-observed  custom, 
it  will  easily  be  believed  that  the  wood-cutters  and  other 
peasants  make  a  market  by  ringing  bears,  frequently 
disposing  of  the  "  ring  "  to  the  more  ardent  hunters  for 
a  very  considerable  price  !  It  was  just  with  this  view 
that  the  Finnish  peasant  had  put  himself  in  communica 
tion  with  our  young  Russians  ;  and  as  the  bounty  they 
had  already  offered  far  exceeded  the  usual  purchase- 
money  in  such  cases,  the  Quan  at  once  closed  with  their 
offer,  and  conducted  them  to  the  "  ring." 


OLD    NALLE  85 


CHAPTER     XV. 

OLD    NALLE. 

WHILE  proceeding  towards  the  ground  where  they 
expected  to  find  the  bear,  their  guide  informed  them 
that  he  had  not  only  ringed  the  animal,  but  actually 
knew  the  den  in  which  it  was  lying.  This  was  still  bet 
ter  :  it  would  not  only  save  them  a  search,  but  enable  them 
to  encompass  the  beast  on  all  sides,  and  cut  off  his  retreat 
—  should  he  attempt  to  bolt  before  they  could  get  near. 

On  approaching  the  place,  therefore,  Pouchskin  pro 
posed  that  the  three  should  separate,  and,  after  having 
deployed  into  a  circle,  proceed  inward  from  different 
directions. 

But  the  guide  opposed  this  suggestion  —  saying,  with 
a  significant  smile,  that  there  was  no  need  of  such  pre 
cautions,  as  he  would  answer  for  the  bear  not  leaving 
his  den,  until  they  had  all  got  up  as  near  as  they  might 
wish  to  be. 

The  hunters  wondered  at  this  confidence  on  the  part  of 
their  guide,  but  in  a  few  minutes'  time  they  had  an  ex 
planation  of  it.  Going  up  to  a  sort  of  cliff  that  formed 
the  side  of  a  little  stony  knoll,  the  Quan  pointed  to  a  hole 
in  the  rocks,  saying,  as  he  did  so :  — 

«  Old  nolle  is  in  there." 


86  BRUIN. 

Now  rt  nalle  "  is  the  nickname  of  the  bear  throughout 
the  Scandinavian  countries,  and  our  Russian  hunters 
knew  this  well  enough  ;  but  that  a  bear  could  be  inside 
the  little  hole  to  which  their  guide  had  pointed  appeared 
utterly  incredible,  and  Ivan  and  Alexis  burst  into  a  loud 
laugh,  while  Pouchskin  was  rather  inclined  to  show  a 
little  anger  about  the  matter. 

The  hole  which  the  Quan  had  pointed  out  was  a  crevice 
between  two  great  boulders  of  rock.  It  was  about  a  yard 
above  the  ground  upon  which  they  stood ;  and  was  cer 
tainly  not  more  than  six  or  eight  inches  in  diameter.  All 
round  the  orifice  the  rocks  were  thickly  coated  with  ice  ; 
and  from  the  top  of  the  cliff  on  both  sides  huge  icicles 
projected  downwards,  until  their  tips  touched  the  earth, 
looking  like  enormous  trunks  of  elephants,  or  such  as 
even  mammoths  might  have  carried.  One  of  these  im 
mense  icicles  was  directly  in  front  of  the  aperture  ;  while 
on  the  ground  just  below  its  point  stood  up  a  huge  mass 
of  an  irregular  conical  shape,  the  convex  surface  of  which 
was  coated  with  snow  that  had  lately  fallen. 

The  first  impression  of  the  hunters  was,  that  they  had 
been  deceived  by  the  cunning  Quiin.  Pouchskin  declared 
that  they  would  not  stand  being  tricked ;  and  at  once  de 
manded  back  the  ten  rix-dollars  which  his  young  masters 
had  paid  for  the  "  ring  "  of  the  bear. 

"  It  was  all  nonsense,"  he  said ;  "  even  if  there  was  a 
cave,  no  bear  could  be  inside,  for  the  simple  reason  that 
none,  even  the  smallest,  could  possibly  have  squeezed  his 
carcass  through  a  hole  like  that ;  —  a  cat  could  hardly 
have  crept  into  such  an  aperture  !  Besides,  where  were 
the  tracks  of  the  bear  ?  There  were  none  to  be  seen  — 


OLD    NALLE.  87 

neither  by  the  mouth  of  the  hole,  nor  in  the  snow  out 
side." 

There  were  old  tracks  of  the  peasant  himself  and  of  a 
dog,  but  not  of  a  bear. 

"  It  is  a  decided  take-in,"  grumbled  Pouchskin. 

<;  Patience,  master  ! "  said  the  Quiin.  "  There  is  a  bear 
inside  for  all  that ;  and  I  '11  prove  it,  or  else  return  you 
your  money.  See  my  little  dog  !  he  '11  tell  you  old  nolle 
is  there.  It  was  he  that  told  me." 

As  the  Quiin  said  this  he  let  slip  a  diminutive  cur, 
which  he  had  hitherto  held  in  the  leash.  The  animal, 
on  being  set  free,  rushed  up  to  the  hole,  and  commenced 
scratching  at  the  ice,  and  barking  in  the  most  furious  and 
excited  manner.  It  certainly  proved  there  was  some 
living  creature  inside;  but  how  could  the  Quiin  tell  it 
was  a  bear ;  and,  above  all,  a  black  bear  ! 

He  was  interrogated  on  this  point. 

"  By  it,"  replied  the  peasant,  taking  from  his  pouch 
a  tuft  of  long  black  fur,  which  was  evidently  that  of  a 
bear ;  "  that  is  how  I  know  that  old  nolle 's  in  the  cave, 
and  the  color  of  the  hair  tells  me  that  it's  black  nolle 
who 's  inside." 

"  But  how  came  you  by  that  ?  "  inquired  all  three  in  a 
breath,  as  the  man  held  the  tuft  before  their  eyes. 

"  Well,  masters  ! "  answered  the  Quiin,  "  you  see  some 
jaggy  points  on  the  rock,  at  the  top  of  the  hole,  there.  I 
found  it  sticking  there,  where  the  bear  must  have  left  it, 
as  he  was  squeezing  himself  into  his  cave — that's  how 
it  was." 

"  But  surely,"  said  Alexis,  "  you  don't  mean  to  assert 
that  a  bear  could  pass  through  such  a  hole  as  that  ?  Why, 
a  badger  couldn't  get  in  there,  my  man  !. 


88  BRUIN. 

"Not  now"  said  the  Quan,  "I  admit;  it  's  three 
months  since  he  went  in.  The  hole  was  bigger  then." 

"  Bigger  then  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  masters !  the  heap  you  see  below  is  only 
ice.  It 's  the  drip  of  that  great  icicle  that  has  frozen  up 
as  it  fell,  and  if  it  were  not  there  you  'd  see  a  place  big 
enough  for  a  bear  to  get  in.  Ah !  sirs !  he  's  there,  I 
can  assure  you." 

"Why,  he  could  n't  get  out  of  himself?" 

"  That  is  very  true,"  replied  the  peasant ;  he  'd  be  safe 
enough  there  till  a  good  bit  on  in  the  spring.  If  we 
had  n't  found  him,  he  would  have  been  obliged  to  stay  in 
his  cave  till  the  sun  had  thawed  that  great  heap  out  of 
his  way.  It  often  happens  so  with  the  bears  in  these 
parts,"  added  the  Quan,  without  seeming  to  think  there 
was  anything  unusual  about  the  circumstance. 

What  the  man  said  was  literally  true.  The  bear  had 
gone  into  this  cleft  or  cave  to  take  his  winter  nap,  and 
during  the  long  weeks,  while  he  was  thus  hybernating, 
the  water,  of  rain  and  melting  snow,  dripping  from  the 
top  of  the  cliff,  had  formed  enormous  stalactites  of  ice, 
with  stalagmites  as  well :  since  it  was  one  of  the  latter 
that  had  closed  up  the  entrance  to  the  den,  and  fairly 
shut  him  up  in  his  own  house! 

Not  only  does  this  curious  accident  often  occur  to 
Scandinavian  bears,  but  these  animals,  notwithstanding 
their  proverbial  sagacity,  frequently  become  their  own  jail 
ers.  They  have  a  habit  of  collecting  large  quantities  of 
moss  and  grass  in  front  of  their  caves,  which  they  place 
right  in  the  aperture ;  and  not  inside  as  a  bed  to  lie  upon. 
Why  they  do  so  is  not  clearly  understood.  The  Scandi- 


OLD    NALLE.  89 

navian  hunters  allege  that  it  is  for  the  purpose  of  shel 
tering  them  from  the  cold  wind,  that  would  otherwise 
blow  up  into  their  chamber ;  and  in  the  absence  of  any 
better  explanation  this  has  been  generally  adopted.  The 
heap  soon  gets  saturated  by  rain  and  melting  snow,  and 
congeals  into  a  solid  mass,  so  hard  that  it  requires  to  be 
cut  with  an  axe  before  it  can  be  got  out  of  the  way ;  and 
the  bear  himself  is  totally  incapable  of  removing  it.  The 
consequence  is  that  it  often  shuts  up  the  entrance  to  his 
winter  chamber;  and  Bruin,  on  awakening  from  his 
sleep,  finds  himself  caught  in  a  trap  of  his  own  construc 
tion.  He  has  then  no  other  resource  but  to  remain  in 
side  till  the  spring  heats  have  thawed  the  mass,  so  that 
he  can  tear  it  to  pieces  with  his  claws,  and  thus  effect  an 
exit.  On  such  occasions,  he  issues  forth  in  a  state  of  ex 
treme  weakness  and  emaciation.  Not  unfrequently  he  is 
altogether  unable  to  clear  away  the  obstacle,  and  per 
ishes  in  his  den. 

On  hearing  these  explanations  from  the  Quan,  who 
appeared  to  be  well  acquainted  with  Bruin's  habits,  the 
young  hunters  were  satisfied  that  a  bear  was  really  in 
the  cave.  Indeed,  they  were  not  long  upon  the  spot,  till 
they  had  still  more  satisfactory  evidence  of  this  fact ;  for 
they  could  hear  the  "sniffing"  of  the  animal,  with  an 
occasional  querulous  growl,  as  if  uttered  in  answer  to  the 
barking  of  the  dog.  Beyond  doubt,  there  was  a  bear 
inside. 

How  was  he  to  be  got  out?  That  now  became  the 
important  question. 


90  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE    STAKED    ENCLOSURE. 

THEY  waited,  for  a  time,  in  hopes  that  he  might  show 
his  snout  at  the  little  aperture,  and  all  three  stood  watch 
ing  it,  with  guns  cocked  and  ready.  A  good  while 
passed,  however,  and,  as  no  snout  made  its  appearance, 
they  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  bear  was  not  to  be 
caught  in  that  simple  way.  By  the  snorting  growl  they 
could  tell  that  he  was  at  no  great  distance  from  the  en 
trance,  and  they  thought  a  pole  might  reach  him.  They 
tried  this,  but  found  that  it  could  be  inserted  only  in  a 
diagonal  direction ;  and  although  Pouchskin  poked  in 
the  pole,  and  bent  it  round  like  a  rattan,  he  could  not 
touch  wool  anywhere ;  while  the  bear,  though  he  gave 
tongue  now  and  then,  still  kept  his  place  at  the  further 
end  of  the  cave. 

No  other  plan  offered,  except  to  cut  away  the  icy 
mass,  and  set  open  the  mouth  of  the  cavity.  If  this 
were  done,  would  Bruin  be  then  likely  to  come  forth  ? 
The  Qulin  was  confident  he  would ;  alleging  as  his  rea 
son,  that,  in  consequence  of  the  spell  of  warm  weather 
there  had  been,  the  bear  must  have  fully  shaken  off  his 
winter  drowsiness,  and  would  no  doubt  have  been  abroad 
long  ago,  but  for  the  ice  preventing  his  egress  from  the 


THE    STAKED    ENCLOSURE.  91 

den.  As  soon  as  that  should  be  removed,  he  would  be 
pretty  sure  to  sally  out  —  for  hunger,  said  the  peasant, 
will  bring  him  forth,  if  not  just  at  the  moment,  certain 
ly  within  an  hour  or  so.  At  the  worst  they  could  wait 
awhile.  Moreover,  were  the  ice  removed,  they  might  be 
able  to  reach  him  with  a  pole ;  and  that  would  be  certain 
to  put  him  in  such  a  rage  as  would  at  once  tempt  him  to 
make  a  sortie. 

With  this  idea,  Pouchskin  seized  his  axe,  knocked  the 
great  icicle  into  "  smithereens,"  and  was  about  going  to 
work  upon  the  huge  stalagmite  that  blocked  up  the 
entrance,  when  he  was  interrupted  by  the  Quiin. 

"  With  your  leave,  master  ! "  said  the  latter,  as  he  laid 
his  hand  upon  Pouchskin's  arm  to  restrain  him.  "  JSTot 
so  fast,  if  you  please." 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  the  ex-guardsman,  "  don't  you  intend 
to  unearth  the  brute  ?  " 

"  Yes,  master,"  replied  the  Qtiiiri ;  but  something  must 
be  done  first.  This  is  a  black  bear,  you  must  know." 

"  Well,  and  what  of  a  black  one  more  than  any 
other?"  demanded  Pouchskin,  somewhat  surprised,  for 
in  the  forests  of  Russia,  where  he  had  hunted  bears, 
there  were  no  black  ones. 

"  Don't  you  know."  said  the  Finn,  "  that  black  nalle 
is  always  bigger  and  fiercer  than  his  brown  brother? 
Besides,  just  at  this  time  he  will  be  so  savage  with 
hunger  that  he  would  eat  one  of  us  up  the  moment  he 
got  out.  If  that  ice  was  away,  I  should  n't  like  to  stand 
here.  Take  your  time,  master !  I  think  I  can  show  you 
a  better  plan  ;  at  all  events  it  is  a  safer  one.  It 's  a  way 
we  practise  here  —  when  we  are  sure  that  a  bear  is 


92  BRUIN. 

asleep,  and  won't  interrupt  us  while  we  're  making 
ready  for  him." 

"  Oh,  well,"  replied  Pouchskin,  "  I  'm  agreeable  to 
anything  you  propose.  I  'm  not  particularly  desirous  of 
risking  another  wrestle  —  not  I  —  I  had  enough  of  that 
the  other  day."  And  as  the  old  guardsman  made  the 
remark,  he  gave  a  significant  shrug  of  his  shoulders, 
the  wounds  upon  which  not  being  yet  quite  cicatrized, 
feelingly  reminded  him  of  the  rough  handling  he 
had  received. 

"  Well  then,"  said  the  Quan,  "  if  you  will  help  me  to 
cut  some  strong  stakes,  I  shall  show  you  a  plan  by  which 
you  may  knock  old  nolle  upon  the  skull  without  danger 
to  any  of  us,  or  send  your  bullets  through  his  brain,  if 
you  like  better  to  kill  him  in  that  way." 

All,  of  course,  agreed  to  the  Quan's  proposal ;  for  if 
the  black  bear  was,  as  he  represented  him,  fiercer  than 
his  brown  brethren,  it  would  be  no  pleasant  prospect  to 
have  him  loose  among  them;  and  in  case  of  their  not 
being  able  to  shoot  him  dead  on  the  spot  as  he  rushed 
out,  they  might  not  only  be  in  danger  of  getting  mauled, 
but  in  danger  of  what  they  dreaded  almost  as  much  — 
losing  him  altogether.  He  might  get  off  into  the  forest ; 
and  as  there  were  tracts  along  the  hill-sides,  now  quite 
clear  of  snow,  he  might  steal  away  from  them  beyond 
recovery.  This  would  be  a  disappointment  of  no  or 
dinary  kind.  In  fact,  it  might  be  the  means  of  keeping 
them  for  weeks,  or  perhaps  months,  from  proceeding  on 
their  journey :  since  it  might  be  weeks  or  months  before 
they  should  fall  in  with  another  chance  of  obtaining  a 
black  bear-skin  ;  and  until  that  was  procured  they  could 
not  turn  their  faces  towards  Spain. 


THE    STAKED    ENCLOSURE.  93 

With  such  a  prospect  then,  they  were  only  too  ready 
to  agree  to  any  conditions  by  which  the  bear  might  be 
safely  secured.  The  Quan  was  not  long  in  disclosing  his 
plan ;  and  as  soon  as  he  had  communicated  it,  all  three 
set  to  work  to  aid  him  in  its  execution. 

A  number  of  stout  stakes  were  cut  —  each  about  six 
feet  in  length,  and  pointed  at  one  end.  These  were 
driven  into  the  earth  around  the  outer  edge  of  the  icy 
mass,  in  a  sort  of  semicircular  row ;  and  so  as  to  enclose 
a  small  space  in  front  of  the  aperture.  To  hold  the 
stakes  all  the  more  firmly,  large  stones  were  piled  up 
against  them,  and  the  uprights  themselves  were  closely 
wattled  together  by  the  broad  flat  branches  of  the  spruce 
pines  that  grew  near.  In  this  way  was  constructed  a 
fence  that  a  cat  could  not  have  crawled  through,  much 
less  a  bear.  One  aperture  only  was  left  in  it,  and  that 
was  directly  in  front  —  a  hole  at  about  the  height  of  a 
man's  knee  from  the  ground,  and  just  big  enough  to 
admit  the  head  of  a  bear  —  for  that  was  the  purpose  for 
which  it  was  intended. 

The  next  thing  done  was  to  roof  the  whole  of  this 
stockade  enclosure ;  and  that  was  accomplished  by  rest 
ing  long  poles  horizontally  over  it,  tying  them  at  the  ends 
to  the  tops  of  the  uprights,  and  then  covering  them 
thickly  with  granris  (the  spray  lopped  from  the  branches 
of  the  evergreen  pines). 

It  now  only  remained  to  get  the  ice  out  of  the  way, 
and  allow  the  bear  to  come  forth.  That  would  not  have 
been  so  easy  of  accomplishment,  had  it  not  been  already 
partially  removed.  Before  closing  up  the  top,  Pouch- 
skin,  directed  by  the  Finnish  peasant,  had  cut  away  most 


94  BRUIN. 

of  the  mass,  leaving  only  a  shell ;  which,  although  filling 
up  the  entrance  as  before,  could  be  easily  beaten  down, 
or  driven  in  from  the  outside  of  the  enclosure. 

During  the  time  that  the  ex-guardsman  had  been  sap 
ping  away  the  ice,  he  had  been  keeping  a  sharp  lookout. 
He  was  admonished  to  do  this  by  certain  noises  that,  now 
and  then,  came  rumbling  out  of  the  cave  ;  and  not  very 
certain  that  he  was  in  perfect  safety,  he  had  been  under 
some  apprehension.  The  bear,  by  throwing  all  his  weight 
against  the  reduced  mass  of  ice,  might  break  his  way  out ; 
and  as  by  the  constant  chiselling  the  wall  grew  weaker 
and  thinner,  Pouchskin's  fears  increased  in  proportion. 
He  was  only  too  happy,  when,  having  picked  the  con 
gealed  mass  to  what  was  thought  a  sufficient  thinness,  he 
desisted  from  his  work,  and  crept  out  of  the  enclosure, 
through  the  space  that  had  been  kept  open  for  him. 

This  was  now  fenced  up  as  securely  as  the  rest ;  and 
it  only  remained  to  knock  away  the  icy  barricade,  and 
tempt  Bruin  to  come  forth. 

The  icy  wall  could  be  broken  in  by  means  of  a  long 
boar-spear  with  which  the  Finnish  peasant  had  provided 
himself.  It  was  headed  with  a  heavy  piece  of  iron, 
edged  and  tipped  with  the  best  Swedish  steel,  and  this 
being  jobbed  against  the  ice,  and  kept  constantly  at  work, 
soon  splintered  the  shell  into  pieces. 

As  soon  as  the  Quiin  saw  that  he  had  opened  a  hole 
large  enough  to  pass  the  body  of  the  bear,  he  drew  back 
his  spear,  telling  the  hunter  to  look  out. 

During  the  operation,  all  three  had  kept  watch  through 
crevices  in  the  stockade-wall,  holding  their  guns  pointed 
towards  the  aperture,  and  ready  to  give  the  bear  a  volley 
the  moment  he  should  show  his  snout 


THE    SPITTING-   DEVIL.  95 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE    SPITTING   DEVIL. 

To  their  disappointment,  however,  the  bear  refused 
to  exhibit  even  as  much  as  the  tip  of  his  nose,  not  only 
while  his  door  was  being  opened,  but  afterwards ;  and 
they  began  to  think  that  he  might  not  come  forth  after 
all. 

The  Quiin  assured  them  that  he  would  be  certain  to 
do  so  in  time  ;  but  perhaps  not  for  a  few  hours,  till  after 
they  should  have  remained  quiet  a  while,  and  old  nolle 
should  fancy  they  had  gone  away. 

"  He  has  been  a  long  time  without  his  breakfast,"  added 
the  Quiin,  "  and  his  stomach  will  now  be  talking  loudly  to 
him ;  that  will  tell  him  to  steal  out  for  something  to  eat. 
No  fear  of  it,  masters  ! " 

"  But  for  what  purpose  have  you  designed  this  hole  ?  " 
inquired  Ivan,  pointing  to  the  little  aperture  that  had 
been  left  in  the  wattled  enclosure. 

"  0,"  replied  the  peasant,  "  that  is  how  we  kill  bears 
sometimes ;  especially  if  we  are  not  rich  enough  to  have 
a  gun.  As  soon  as  old  nolle  rushes  out  from  his  den, 
the  first  thing  he  does  is  to  run  all  round,  looking  for  a 
chance  to  break  through  the  fence.  Of  course  he  finds 
the  hole,  and  pokes  his  head  through  it.  One  of  us 


96  BRUIN. 

stands  outside,  as  you  see  me  now,  with  a  hatchet  ready ; 
and  we  would  be  clumsy,  indeed,  if  we  could  not  cleave 
in  his  skull,  or  give  him  such  a  crack  upon  it,  as  would 
turn  him  back  downwards.  You  shall  see  how  the  bear 
will  rush  to  this  hole  the  moment  he  comes  out,  and  then, 
masters !  you  shall  see ! " 

Here  the  Quan  gave  a  significant  shake  to  his  hatchet, 
twirling  it  with  the  dexterity  peculiar  to  his  craft,  for  it 
so  chanced  that  he  was  a  wood-cutter  by  trade. 

Our  hunters,  however,  saw  that  this  would  never  do. 
According  to  the  conditions  under  which  they  travelled, 
the  bear  must  be  killed  by  one  of  themselves ;  and,  there 
fore,  after  a  little  explanation,  the  Quan  resigned  his  in 
tention  and  stepped  aside.  His  post,  however,  was  sup 
plied  by  the  ex-guardsman,  who,  poising  his  ponderous 
axe,  stood  ready  to  deal  a  far  heavier  and  deadlier  blow 
than  could  be  given  by  any  wood-cutter  in  Scandinavia. 
Alexis  took  charge  of  Pouchskin's  gun,  determined  to 
fire  it  as  soon  as  he  had  discharged  his  own  rifle  ;  and  as 
Ivan  had  one  barrel  loaded  with  ball  and  the  other  with 
slugs,  it  was  not  likely,  against  such  a  formidable  battery 
as  was  thus  prepared  for  him,  that  Bruin  could  manage 
to  live  much  longer. 

It  now  became  a  question  whether  they  should  wait 
patiently  till  the  bear  came  out,  or  whether  they  might 
not  adopt  some  mode  of  tempting  him  forth,  that  would 
act  upon  him  more  rapidly  than  the  cravings  of  his 
stomach. 

There  could  be  no  harm  in  trying  to  reach  and  stir 
him  up  with  a  pole  ;  and  for  this  purpose  the  wood-cutter 
stepped  aside  to  find  one. 


THE    SPITTING    DEVIL.  97 

He  very  soon  succeeded  in  procuring  a  long  birch  sap 
ling  —  as  long  as  an  ordinary  fishing-rod ;  and  having 
cleared  this  of  its  spray,  he  inserted  it  into  the  cave. 
To  the  gratification  of  the  party  it  was  found  long  enough 
for  the  purpose ;  for  by  the  muffled  feel  it  could  only  be 
Bruin's  fur  that  its  point  was  buried  in.  It  was  just  as 
far,  however,  as  the  pole  would  reach ;  and  as  it  was  a 
slender  sapling  without  any  stiffness  in  it,  they  were  un 
able  to  do  anything  in  the  way  of  giving  him  a  poke. 
!Nb  doubt,  had  the  entrance  to  his  den  been  wider,  even 
the  tickling  of  the  pole  would  have  caused  him  to  "  turn 
out;"  for  a  bear,  unless  badly  wounded,  will  not  stand 
much  badgering.  It  was  possible,  in  this  case,  that  Bruin 
suspected  there  was  some  trap  set  for  him  outside  —  in 
deed,  the  noises  he  had  been  listening  to  for  more  than 
an  hour  must  have  admonished  him  that  all  was  not  as 
it  ought  to  be ;  and  this  perhaps  rendered  him  more  wary 
than  was  his  wont.  He  might  not  yet  be  aware  that  his 
door  was  open ;  for  the  roofed  enclosure  still  kept  out  the 
light  as  much  as  the  stalagmite  had  done ;  and  although 
he  might  have  heard  the  icy  mass  giving  way  before  the 
axe  and  spear,  he  might  not  understand  all  that.  It  was 
necessary,  therefore,  to  coax  him  as  far  as  the  threshold 
—  so  that  he  might  discover  that  the  door  of  his  chamber 
had  been  opened  for  him. 

The  tickling  of  the  pole,  however,  proved  of  no  ser 
vice  ;  for,  although  it  drew  from  the  huge  brute  a  sniff 
or  two,  he  still  kept  to  his  bed. 

What  was  to  be  done?  Must  they  retire,  and  wait 
patiently  till  the  calls  of  hunger  should  urge  him  forth  ? 
The  day  was  piercingly  cold,  and  to  remain  there  long 
5  G 


98  BRUIN. 

"would  have  been  unpleasant  enough.  They  might,  in 
deed,  have  to  stay  by  the  cave  all  day  and  all  night  too : 
for  the  enclosure  had  been  only  slightly  put  up  —  merely 
to  check  the  bear  for  a  few  minutes  —  and  if  they  were 
to  leave  him  all  night  to  himself,  he  could  easily  tear 
down  the  stakes  and  get  off. 

They  could  not  think  of  deserting  the  spot  for  an  in 
stant  ;  but  to  avoid  a  long  vigil  they  set  about  consider 
ing  some  plan  by  which  Bruin  might  be  induced  to  come 
forth  from  his  inaccessible  retreat. 

A  thought  occurred  to  Ivan,  who  was  a  quick  conceiver 
—  a  plan  which  promised  well  —  and  that  was  to  make  a 
"  spitting-devil,"  and  send  it  up  into  the  cave.  It  ap 
peared  a  good  idea  —  at  all  events,  it  would  not  be  diffi 
cult  to  give  it  a  trial.  Gunpowder  was  not  scarce  with 
them  —  since  Russian  roubles  were  plenty ;  and  Pouch- 
skin,  pouring  out  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  pound  into  the 
palm  of  his  broad  hand,  commenced  spitting  upon  it  and 
working  the  powder  into  a  paste.  Ivan,  who  directed 
this  operation,  was  determined  his  plan  should  not  fail 
by  any  stinginess  in  regard  to  the  materials  required  for 
carrying  it  out. 

After  a  short  space  of  time  the  plastic  fingers  of 
Pouchskin  had  elaborated  the  powder  paste  into  a  roll 
as  large  as  a  regalia  cigar  ;  and  this  being  dried  slightly 
near  a  fire  —  which  they  had  long  before  kindled  —  was 
ready  for  the  touch.  To  the  old  grenadier  was  intrusted 
the  management  of  the  miniature  rocket ;  and,  while  the 
young  hunters  once  more  stood  to  their  guns,  he  pro 
ceeded  to  carry  out  the  design. 

Having  thrust  his  head  through  the  hole  intended  for 


THE    SPITTING    DEVIL.  99 

the  bear,  and  his  arm  through  another  which  he  had  made 
for  himself,  he  held  the  "  devil  "  at  arm's  length  between 
his  finger  and  thumb.  The  Quan  now  took  a  blazing 
faggot  from  the  fire,  and  passing  it  between  the  wattles, 
ignited  the  fuse  which  the  old  grenadier  had  ingeniously 
placed  in  the  "  devil's  "  tail. 

As  soon  as  Pouchskin  perceived  that  it  was  fairly  on 
fire,  with  an  adroit  jerk  he  sent  the  little  rocket  up  unto 
the  cave,  as  far  as  he  could  throw  it ;  and  then  jerking 
himself  backward,  he  seized  hold  of  his  axe. 

There  was  a  moment  of  suspense ;  not  long :  for  al 
most  on  the  instant  a  brilliant  light  shone  within  the 
cave,  accompanied  with  a  sputtering  and  whizzing  and 
cracking,  as  if  half  a  dozen  alarm-clocks  had  been  set 
going  at  the  same  time  !  In  the  midst  of  this  confusion 
of  noises,  and  louder  far  than  any,  could  be  heard  a  num 
ber  of  sharp  wild  shrieks,  and  before  the  rocket  had  half 
burnt  out,  Bruin  was  seen  bolting  forth  over  the  broken 
fragments  of  ice.  Two  shots  were  fired,  almost  simul 
taneously  ;  but  both  failed  to  check  his  onward  rush ; 
and  with  a  mighty  force  he  came  "  bump "  against  the 
palisades,  causing  them  to  crash  and  swag  as  if  they 
would  give  way.  It  was  fortunate  for  the  hunters  that 
the  stakes  stood  the  shock :  for  such  a  set  of  teeth  as  that 
bear  exhibited  they  had  never  before  seen.  A  single 
stroke  from  those  paws  would  have  been  enough  to  crack 
the  thickest  skull  in  creation. 

Ivan  gave  him  his  second  barrel  —  the  one  loaded  with 
slugs,  —  but  it  only  served  to  increase  his  fury ;  and  now 
rearing  up,  and  then  going  on  all-fours,  he  kept  rushing 
backward  and  forward  through  the  enclosure,  all  the- 
while  uttering  fierce  growls. 
' 


100  BRUIN. 

Alexis,  meanwhile,  had  dropped  his  rifle  and  taken  up 
the  fusil  of  Pouchskin.  His  place  was  at  one  side  of 
the  enclosure.  He  had  already  got  the  barrel  through 
the  wattles,  and  was  endeavoring  to  level  it  upon  the 
bear  —  seeking  for  a  mortal  part  at  which  he  might  aim. 
The  darkness,  however,  —  for  the  roofed  stockade  ren 
dered  it  dark,  —  combined  with  the  quick  movements  of 
the  animal,  hindered  him  from  getting  a  sight  to  his  sat 
isfaction.  He  knew  the  importance  of  making  this  a 
killing  shot.  Should  the  bear,  wounded  as  he  now  was, 
retreat  back  into  his  den,  there  would  be  no  chance  what 
ever  of  getting  him  out  again.  Alexis  thought  of  this ; 
and  therefore  resolved  not  to  fire  at  random,  as  he  had 
done  before.  Ho  knew  that  a  full-grown  bear,  unless 
shot  in  the  brain  or  heart,  can  accommodate  a  score  of 
bullets  without  being  much  inconvenienced  by  them. 

Knowing  this,  Alexis  was  biding  his  time,  when  all  at 
once  he  perceived  the  bear  make  halt  on  the  front  side 
of  the  enclosure.  He  now  aimed  at  the  heart  of  the 
huge  animal,  but  before  he  could  pull  trigger,  a  loud 
crash  sounded  in  his  ear,  and  Bruin  was  seen  dropping 
to  the  ground,  where  he  continued  to  lie,  almost  without 
giving  a  kick ! 

It  was  the  axe  of  Pouchskin  that  had  caused  the 
crash,  as  its  edge  of  steel  descended  upon  the  bear's  cra 
nium,  smashing  it  in  as  if  it  had  been  an  egg-shell.  As 
the  Quan  predicted,  the  animal  had  imprudently  poked 
his  head  through  the  aperture  where  Pouchskin  was 
standing  ready  for  him. 

This,  of  course,  finished  the  affair.  It  was  only  neces 
sary  to  remove  the  palisades,  sling  the  bear  to  a  tree, 


THE    SPITTING   DEVIL.  101 

and  then  strip  him  of  his  much  coveted  skin.  All  this  in 
due  time  was  accomplished ;  and  with  the  robe  once 
more  packed  on  the  shoulders  of  Pouchskin,  the  hunters 
returned  to  their  head-quarters. 

It  proved  —  as  the  Quan  had  promised  them  —  to  be 
a  black  bear ;  not  that  his  fur  was  altogether  black,  as  is 
the  case  with  the  ursus  amcricanus  and  the  black  bears 
of  India.  On  the  contrary,  the  hair  was  brown  near  the 
roots,  and  only  black  at  the  tips,  which,  however,  gave  it 
the  appearance  of  being  black  all  over  the  surface ;  and 
Alexis  knew  that  this  was  the  variety  of  bear  they  were 
in  search  of. 

Satisfied  that  they  had  obtained  the  skin  of  the  ursus 
niger,  it  only  remained  for  our  hunters  to  pack  up  their 
travelling  traps,  bid  adieu  to  the  cold  climate  of  Scandi 
navia,  and  start  for  the  sunny  south  —  for  the  far-famed 
Pyrenees  of  Spain. 


102  BRUIN- 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

THE   PALOMBIERE. 

IT  is  not  intended  to  detail  the  many  incidents  that,  be 
fell  them  on  the  way,  the  chitchat  of  steamboats,  rail 
roads,  and  hotels.  Their  father  cared  not  to  hear  of 
these  trifles;  he  could  read  enough  of  such  delightful 
stuff  in  the  books  of  whole  legions  of  travellers ;  and,  as 
they  did  not  note  anything  of  this  kind  in  their  journal, 
we  are  left  to  suppose  that  they  encountered  the  usual 
pleasures  and  desagremens  which  all  travellers  must  ex 
perience  on  similar  journeys.  As  money  was  no  object, 
they  travelled  with  expedition  —  making  only  a  short 
stay  in  the  great  capitals  through  which  they  passed,  in 
order  to  have  their  passports  vised,  and  sometimes  for 
the  purpose  of  using  the  great  emperor's  letter  for  the 
replenishment  of  their  exchequer.  This  magic  docu 
ment  proved  all-powerful  everywhere  they  went ;  and  as 
they  knew  it  would  be  so  in  all  corners  of  the  habitable 
globe,  they  could  rely  upon  it  with  perfect  confidence. 
Pouchskin's  leathern  bag  was  always  well  weighted  with 
the  yellow  metal,  —  and  specie,  whatever  stamp  it  may 
bear,  is  current  all  over  the  world. 

Their  journal  merely  mentions  the  route  followed. 
From  their  hunting-ground  they  returned  down  the  Tor- 


THE    PALOMBIERE.  103 

nea  river,  which,  running  due  north  and  south,  of  course 
did  not  compromise  the  terms  of  their  covenant ;  neither 
were  the  conditions  infringed  by  their  taking  at  any  time 
the  back-track  when  engaged  in  the  chase,  for,  as  already 
known,  there  was  a  specification  in  the  baron's  letter  that 
allowed  of  this  deviation.  All  that  was  required  of  them 
was  that  they  should  not  recross  a  meridian  when  on  their 
actual  route  of  travel. 

A  ship  carried  them  from  Tornea  to  Dantzic.  Hence 
they  passed  to  Berlin,  and  on  through  Frankfort,  Stut- 
gard,  and  Strasbourg,  to  Paris.  Paris,  it  is  true,  was  a 
little  out  of  their  way ;  but  what  Russian  could  travel 
across  Europe  without  paying  a  visit  to  Paris  ?  Pouch- 
skin  cared  little  about  it.  The  old  grenadier  had  been 
there  before,  —  in  1815,  —  when  he  was  far  from  being 
welcome  to  the  Parisians  ;  and  Alexis  would  rather  have 
gone  by  another  and  more  direct  route,  that  is,  through 
Switzerland ;  but  the  gay  Ivan  would  not  hear  of  such  a 
thing.  To  see  Paris  he  was  determined ;  and  see  it  he 
did  ;  though  what  he  or  they  did  there  is  not  mentioned 
in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  our  young  bear-hunters. 

From  Paris  they  travelled  by  rail,  almost  directly 
south  —  though  still  slightly  westward  —  to  the  cele 
brated  baths  of  Bagneres.  Here  they  found  themselves 
not  only  within  sight,  but  actually  among  the  foot-hills  of 
those  mountains,  for  the  tourist  scarce  second  in  interest 
to  the  Alps  themselves,  but  perhaps  for  the  naturalist 
even  more  interesting  than  these. 

At  Bagneres  they  made  but  a  short  stay,  only  long 
enougfi  to  recruit  their  strength  by  bathing  in  its  thermal 
springs,  and  to  witness  a  spectacle  which  is  regarded  as 
the  grand  lion  of  the  place  —  the  Palombiere. 


104  BRUIN. 

As  you,  young  reader,  may  not  have  heard  of  the  Pa- 
lombiere,  and  may  be  curious  to  know  what  it  is,  I  give 
the  account  of  it  which  I  find  recorded  in  the  journal  of 
Alexis. 

About  two  miles  from  Bagneres  rises  a  ridge  of  con 
siderable  elevation  —  running  parallel  with  the  general 
direction  of  the  Pyrenees,  of  which  it  may  be  considered 
an  outlying  step,  or  "foot-hill"  (pied  mont).  Along  the 
crest  of  this  hill  stands  a  row  of  very  tall  trees,  from 
which  the  branches  have  been  carefully  lopped,  leaving 
only  a  little  bunch  at  the  top  of  each.  On  coming  close 
to  these  trees  —  provided  it  be  in  the  months  of  Septem 
ber  or  October  —  you  will  observe  a  something  between 
them  that  resembles  a  thin  gauzy  veil  of  a  grayish  color. 
On  getting  still  nearer,  you  will  perceive  that  this  veil  is 
a  net  —  or  rather  a  series  of  nets  —  extended  from  tree 
to  tree,  and  filling  up  all  the  spaces  between  them,  from 
the  highest  point  to  which  the  branches  have  been  lopped 
down  to  within  three  feet  of  the  ground. 

Another  singular  object,  or  series  of  objects,  will  long 
ere  this  have  attracted  your  attention.  You  will  see 
standing,  at  certain  intervals  apart,  and  about  thirty  yards 
in  front  of  the  trees,  a  row  of  tall  tapering  sticks  —  so  tall 
that  their  tops  are  fifty  yards  from  the  ground !  They 
might  remind  you  of  the  masts  of  a  ship  ;  but  that  there 
are  in  each  case  two  of  them  together,  —  the  one  stand 
ing  vertically,  and  the  other  bending  over  to  it,  with  a 
slight  curve.  On  this  account  you  may  be  more  struck 
with  their  resemblance  to  the  "  shears  "  seen  in  shipyards, 
by  which  the  masts  are  "  stepped "  into  their  places. 
These  masts,  as  we  may  call  them,  are  not  all  of  one  stick 


THE    PALOMBIERE.  105 

of  wood,  but  of  several  pieces  spliced  together ;  and,  not 
withstanding  their  prodigious  length  —  fifty  yards,  you 
will  remember  —  they  are  of  no  great  thickness.  In 
fact,  although  the  two  are  joined  together  at  the  top  — 
as  we  shall  presently  have  occasion  to  show  —  when  a 
strong  wind  blows,  both  bend,  and  vibrate  back  and  for 
ward  like  an  elastic  trout-rod.  At  their  bases  they  are 
only  five  feet  apart ;  and  the  curving  one  is  intended  to 
act  as  a  stay  to  the  other.  Both,  as  already  stated,  meet 
at  the  top,  and  looking  up  you  will  see  —  while  the  sight 
makes  you  dizzy  —  a  little  roundish  object  at  the  point 
of  the  junction.  It  is  a  basket  set  there  firmly,  and  just 
big  enough  to  hold  the  body  of  a  man.  If  you  look  care 
fully  you  will  see  a  man  actually  within  it ;  but,  to  quote 
Shakespeare's  quaint  simile,  he  will  appear  to  your  eyes 
not  half  as  gross  as  a  beetle !  In  all  likelihood  he  is  not 
a  man,  but  only  a  boy ;  for  it  is  boys  vrho  are  selected 
to  perform  this  elevated  and  apparently  dangerous  ser 
vice. 

How  did  the  boy  get  there?  will  probably  be  your 
next  question.  By  running  your  eye  along  the  curved 
pole,  you  will  perceive  a  row  of  projecting  pegs  extend 
ing  from  bottom  to  top.  They  are  quite  two  feet  apart ; 
but  had  you  been  present  while  that  youth  was  making 
the  ascent  —  which  he  d*id  by  the  help  of  these  pegs  — 
you  would  have  seen  him  scramble  up  as  rapidly,  and 
with  as  little  concern,  as  a  sailor  would  ascend  the  rat 
lines  of  a  ship  !  It  is  his  trade  to  do  so,  and  practice  has 
made  him  as  nimble  as  he  is  intrepid  ;  but  you,  who  are 
unaccustomed  to  witness  such  tall  gymnastics,  cannot  help 
again  recalling  Shakespeare,  and  exclaiming,  with  the 
5* 


106  BRUIN. 

great  dramatic  poet,  "  Fearful  trade ! "  Quite  as  fearful, 
indeed,  as  the  gathering  of  "  samphire." 

But  what  is  this  trade  ?  What  is  all  this  contrivance 
for  —  these  nets  and  tall  masts,  with  "•  crows'-nests  "  at 
their  tops  ?  What  are  the  boys  doing  up  there  ?  And 
what  are  they  about  below  —  those  men,  women,  and 
children  —  a  crowd  composed  of  all  ages  and  all  sexes  ? 
What  are  they  doing  ? 

Pigeon-catching.  That  is  what  they  are  doing,  or  rather 
what  they  are  aiming  to  do,  as  soon  as  the  opportunity 
offers.  These  people  are  simply  pigeon-catchers. 

What  sort  of  pigeons  ?  and  where  do  they  come  from  ? 
These  questions  must  be  answered. 

To  the  first,  then,  the  answer  is,  the  common  European 
wild  pigeon  (columba  palumbis).  It  is  well  known  in 
England  by  the  name  of  "  wood-pigeon,"  and  in  France 
it  is  called  ramier.  In  England  the  wood-pigeon  is  not 
migratory.  In  that  country  there  is  a  much  milder  win 
ter  than  is  experienced  in  the  same  or  even  a  more 
southerly  latitude  on  the  Continent.  This  enables  the 
pigeon  to  find  food  throughout  all  the  year,  and  it  there 
fore  remains  in  England.  In  continental  countries  — 
France  among  the  number  —  the  severity  of  the  winter 
forces  it  southward ;  and  it  annually  migrates  into  Af 
rica —  the  supposed  limit  of  its  flight  being  the  chain 
of  the  Atlas  mountains.  Of  course  the  wood-pigeon  is 
only  one  of  many  birds  that  make  this  annual  tour,  tak 
ing,  as  the  rest  do,  a  "  return  ticket." 

Now,  the  ramiers  of  France,  in  passing  southward, 
must  ply  their  wings  a  little  more  strenuously  to  mount 
over  the  snowy  summits  of  the  Pyrenees ;  but  they  only 


THE    PALOMBIERE.  107 

commence  ascending  to  this  higher  elevation  when  near 
the  mountains.  The  ridge  at  Bagneres  chances  to  lie  in 
the  line  of  their  flight  —  of  course,  not  df  all  of  them, 
but  such  as  may  be  sweeping  along  in  that  particular  me 
ridian  ;  and,  passing  between  the  tall  trees  already  men 
tioned,  they  get  caught  in  the  meshes  of  the  nets.  The 
moment  they  strike  these  —  several  of  them  coming 
"but"  against  one  at  the  same  instant,  —  a  trigger  is 
pulled  by  the  men  —  who  are  below  concealed  under 
screens  —  and  this  trigger,  acting  on  a  string,  causes  the 
net  to  drop,  with  the  fluttering  victims  safely  secured  in 
its  meshes. 

"When  the  flight  has  passed,  the  women,  girls,  boys, 
and  even  the  children,  rush  forth  from  their  hiding- 
places;  and,  seizing  the  struggling  birds,  put  a  quick 
termination  to  their  fruitless  efforts,  by  biting  each  of 
them  in  the  neck.  Old,  half-toothless  crones  —  for  this 
is  especially  their  part  of  the  performance  —  will  be 
seen  thus  giving  the  final  coup  to  the  beautiful  but  un 
fortunate  wanderers ! 

And  still  we  have  not  explained  what  the  boys  are 
doing  up  yonder.  Well,  we  shall  now  announce  their 
metier.  Each  has  taken  up  with  him  a  number  of  little 
billets  of  wood,  fashioned  something  like  the  letter  Y, 
and  about  six  inches  in  length.  When  this  billet  is  flung 
into  the  air,  and  twirls  about  in  its  descent,  it  exhibits 
some  resemblance  —  though  not  a  very  close  one  —  to  a 
flying  pigeon-hawk.  The  resemblance,  however,  is  near 
enough  to  "  do  "  the  pigeons ;  for  when  they  are  within 
about  one  hundred  yards  of  the  crows'-nest,  the  boy 
launches  his  billet  into  the  air,  and  the  birds,  believing  it 


108  BRUIN. 

to  be  a  hawk,  immediately  dip  several  yards  in  their 
flight — as  they  may  be  seen  to  do  when  a  real  hawk 
makes  his  appearance.  This  descent  usually  brings  them 
low  enough  to  pass  between  the  trees  ;  and  of  course  the 
old  women  soon  get  their  teeth  upon  them. 

The  pigeon-catching  is  not  free  to  every  one  who 
may  take  a  "  fancy "  to  it.  There  are  pigeon-catchers 
by  trade ;  who,  with  their  families,  follow  it  as  a  regular 
calling  during  the  season,  while  it  lasts ;  and  this,  as 
already  stated,  is  in  the  months  of  September  and  Octo 
ber.  The  Palombiere,  or  pigeon-ridge,  belongs  to  the 
communal  authorities,  who  let  it  out  in  sections  to  the 
people  that  follow  the  calling  of  pigeon-netting ;  and 
these,  in  their  turn,  dispose  of  the  produce  of  their  nets  in 
the  markets  of  Bagneres  and  other  neighboring  towns. 

Every  one  knows  how  excellent  for  the  table  is  the 
flesh  of  this  beautiful  bird :  so  much  is  it  esteemed,  that 
even  at  Bagneres,  in  the  season  of  their  greatest  plenty, 
a  pair  will  fetch  a  market  price  of  from  twelve  to  twenty 
sous. 


THE   PYRENEES.  109 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

THE   PYRENEES. 

SPEAKING  geologically,  the  Pyrenees  extend  along 
the  whole  north  of  Spain,  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the 
province  of  Galicia  on  the  Atlantic ;  and  in  this  sense 
the  chain  may  be  regarded  as  between  six  and  seven 
hundred  miles  in  length.  More  properly,  however,  the 
term  "  Pyrenees  "  is  limited  to  that  portion  of  the  range 
which  lies  directly  between  France  and  Spain ;  in  other 
words,  along  the  neck  or  isthmus  of  the  Spanish  penin 
sula.  Thus  limited,  the  range  is  less  than  half  the  above 
length,  or  about  three  hundred  miles ;  while  its  average 
breadth  is  fifty. 

Though  less  elevated  than  the  Alps,  the  Pyrenees 
mountains  are  no  molehills.  Their  highest  peak,  Mala- 
detta.  towers  above  11,000  feet;  and  several  others  are 
of  nearly  equal  height  —  while  more  than  forty  summits 
reach  the  elevation  of  9,000  ! 

The  most  elevated  peaks  are  near  the  centre  of  the 
Pyrenees,  the  range  gradually  dipping  downward  as  the 
extremities  are  approached.  For  this  reason  the  most 
practicable  passes  are  found  near  the  eastern  and  western 
ends  ;  though  many  also  exist  in  the  central  part  of  the 
chain.  In  all,  there  are  fifty  passes  or  "  ports,"  as  they 


110  BRUIN. 

are  called,  leading  from  the  French  to  the  Spanish  side ; 
but  only  five  of  these  are  practicable  for  wheeled  vehi 
cles  ;  and  a  large  number  are  only  known  (or  at  all 
events  only  travelled)  by  the  smugglers  —  contrabandis- 
tas  —  a  class  of  gentry  who  swarm  on  both  sides  of  the 
Pyrenean  frontier. 

The  superficial  extent  of  these  mountains  is  about 
11,000  or  12,000  square  miles.  Part  of  this  is  French, 
and  the  remainder  Spanish  territory.  As  a  general  rule, 
the  "  divide,"  or  main  axis  of  the  ridge  forms  the  boun 
dary  line ;  but  in  the  eastern  section  the  French  terri 
tory  has  been  extended  beyond  the  natural  frontier. 

The  geological  formation  of  the  Pyrenees  consists  both 
of  primitive  and  secondary  rocks,  —  the  latter  being 
greater  in  mass,  and  composed  of  argillaceous  schist, 
grauwacke  (schistose  and  common),  and  limestone. 
Mines  of  lead,  iron,  and  copper  are  found  in  this  for 
mation  —  the  lead  containing  a  proportion  of  silver.  The 
primitive  rocks  are  granite ;  and  run  in  zones  or  belts, 
extended  lengthwise  in  the  direction  of  the  chain  ;  and  it 
is  in  the  rupture  between  these  and  the  transition  strata 
that  the  chemical  springs,  for  which  the  Pyrenees  are  so 
famous,  gush  forth.  Of  these  remarkable  fountains  — 
many  of  them  almost  at  boiling  heat  —  no  less  than  253 
have  been  discovered  in  different  parts  of  the  range.  A 
great  number  of  them  are  celebrated  for  their  medicinal 
virtues,  and  are  the  favorite  summer  resorts  of  invalids, 
as  well  as  the  votaries  of  pleasure,  from  all  parts  of  the 
world  —  but  more  especially  from  France  and  Spain. 

The  botany  of  the   Pyrenees  is  full  of  interest.     It 
may  be  regarded  as  an  epitome  of  the  whole  European 


THE   PYRENEES.  Ill 

flora :  since  scarcely  a  plant  exists,  from  the  Mediterra 
nean  to  the  Arctic  Sea,  that  has  not  a  represenative  spe 
cies  in  some  part  of  this  mountain  chain.  In  the  valleys 
and  lower  slopes  of  the  mountains  the  forest  is  chiefly 
composed  of  Lombardy  poplars  and  sycamores  ;  a  little 
higher,  the  Spanish  chestnut,  oaks,  hazels,  and  alders,  the 
mountain-ash  and  birch-trees  abound ;  and  still  farther 
up  you  enter  the  region  of  the  pines  —  the  pinus  sylves- 
tris  growing  in  dense  continuous  forests,  while  the  more 
graceful  "  stone-pine  "  is  seen  only  in  isolated  groups  or 
scattered  trees.  Everywhere  a  rich  flora  meets  the  eye ; 
flowers  of  the  most  lovely  hues  reflected  in  crystal  rivu 
lets  —  for  the  waters  of  the  Pyrenees  are  pure  beyond 
comparison,  such  a  thing  as  a  turbid  stream  being  un 
known  throughout  the  whole  range. 

Above  the  pine  forests  the  mountains  exhibit  a  zone 
of  naked  declivities,  stretching  upward  to  the  line  of  con 
gelation —  which  in  the  Pyrenees  is  higher  than  upon  the 
Alps.  The  former  has  been  variously  estimated  :  some 
fixing  it  at  8,300  feet,  while  others  raise  it  as  high  as 
9,000  ;  but  indeed,  it  would  be  more  just  to  say  that 
the  snow-line  depends  greatly  upon  the  locality  of  the 
particular  mountain,  and  its  southern  or  northern  ex 
posure. 

In  any  case,  it  is  more  than  1,000  feet  higher  than  on 
the  Alps  ;  the  superior  elevation  being  accounted  for,  by 
the  more  southern  latitude  of  the  Franco-Spanish  chain. 
Perhaps  the  proximity  of  the  sea  has  more  to  do  with 
this  phenomenon  than  the  trifling  difference  of  latitude. 

Upon  the  higher  declivities  and  summits,  snow-fields 
and  glaciers  abound,  as  in  the  Alps ;  and  even  in  some 


112  BRUIN. 

of  the  passes  these  phenomena  are  encountered.  Most 
of  the  passes  are  higher  than  those  of  the  Alps ;  but  in 
consequence  of  the  greater  elevation  of  the  snow-line, 
they  remain  open  throughout  the  winter.  At  all  seasons, 
however,  they  are  by  no  means  easy  to  traverse ;  and  the 
cold  winds  that  whistle  through  them  are  scarce  to  be 
endured.  The  Spaniards,  who  have  a  proverbial  expres 
sion  for  almost  every  idea,  have  not  neglected  this  one. 
In  the  ports  (puertos)  of  the  Pyrenees,  say  they,  "  the 
father  waits  not  for  his  son,  nor  the  son  for  his  father." 

If  the  passes  across  these  mountains  are  higher  than 
those  of  the  Alps,  the  transverse  valleys  are  the  reverse ; 
those  of  the  Pyrenees  being  in  general  much  lower. 
The  consequence  is,  that  from  the  bottom  of  these  valleys 
the  mountains  themselves  appear  far  loftier  than  any  of 
the  Alpine  peaks,  —  the  eye  taking  in  at  one  view  a 
greater  angle  of  elevation. 

The  fauna  of  the  Pyrenean  chain,  though  less  full  and 
varied  than  its  flora,  is  nevertheless  of  great  interest. 
In  the  more  densely  wooded  solitudes,  and  higher  decliv 
ities  of  the  mountains,  a  large  bear  is  found,  whose  light 
fulvous-colored  body  and  black  paws  pronounce  him  a 
different  animal  from  the  ursus  arctos.  If  he  be  the 
same  species,  as  naturalists  assert,  he  claims  at  least  to 
be  a  permanent  variety,  and  deserves  his  distinctive 
appellation  of  ursus  pyrenaicus. 

Wolves  abound  ;  Spanish  wolves,  long  famed  for  their 
fierceness ;  the  common  whitish-brown  wolf  (canis  lupus), 
and  a  darker  and  still  larger  variety  —  in  short,  a  black 
wolf,  designated  the  "  wolf  of  the  Pyrenees,"  though  it 
is  equally  a  denizen  of  the  other  mountain  sierras  of 
Portugal  and  Spain. 


THE   PYRENEES.  113 

The  European  lynx  (felis  lynx),  and  the  wild-cat,  both 
skulk  through  the  Pyrenean  forests ;  the  former  now 
only  rarely  seen.  Along  the  naked  cliffs  leaps  the 
"  izzard,"  which  is  identical  with  the  chamois  of  the 
Alps  (antelope  rupicapra)  ;  and  in  the  same  localities, 
but  more  rarely  seen,  the  "  bouquetin,"  or  "  tur " 
(aigocerus  pyrenaicus]  —  a  species  of  ibex,  not  identical 
with  the  capra  ilex  of  Linnaeus  and  the  Alpine  moun 
tains. 

Birds  of  many  European  species  frequent  the  lower 
forests  of  the  Pyrenees,  or  fill  the  sheltered  valleys  with 
their  vocal  music;  while,  soaring  above  the  mountain 
summits,  may  be  seen  the  great  vulture-eagle,  or  "  lam- 
mergeyer,"  watching  with  greedy  eye  the  feeble  lambkin, 
or  the  new-born  kid  of  the  ibex  and  izzard. 

With  such  knowledge  of  their  natural  history,  it  was 
with  feelings  of  no  ordinary  interest  that  our  young 
hunters  turned  their  faces  towards  that  vast  serried 
rampart  that  separates  the  land  of  the  Gaul  from  the 
country  of  the  Iberian. 

It  was  by  the  Val  d'Ossau,  literally  the  "  valley  of  the 
bear,"  that  they  made  their  approach  to  the  mountains, 
—  that  valley  celebrated  as  the  residence  and  hunting- 
ground  of  Henri  of  Navarre  ;  but  now,  in  modern  days, 
noted  for  its  valuable  thermal  springs  of  Eaux  Bonnes 
and  Eaux  Chaudes. 

Up  this  mountain  gorge  went  our  heroes,  their  faces 
turned  southward,  and  their  eyes  carried  high  up  to  the 
Pic  du  Midi  d'Ossau  —  the  mountain  of  the  bears  —  an 
appropriate  name  for  that  beacon  which  was  now  direct 
ing  their  course. 

H 


1 14  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

AN    ODD    AVALANCHE. 

IT  is  needless  to  say  that  the  young  Russians  were 
delighted  with  the  scenes  that  met  their  eyes  in  this  fair 
southern  land ;  and  many  of  them  are  found  faithfully 
described  in  their  journal.  They  noted  the  picturesque 
dresses  of  the  Pyrenean  peasantry  —  so  different  from 
the  eternal  blue  blouse  which  they  had  met  in  north 
ern  and  central  France.  Here  was  worn  the  "  barret," 
of  scarlet  or  white,  the  rich  brown  jacket  and  red  sash 
of  the  peculiar  costumes  of  the  Basque  and  Bearnais 
peasants  —  a  fine  race  of  men,  and  one,  too,  historically 
noble.  They  saw  carts  drawn  by  large-limbed  cream- 
colored  oxen;  and  passed  flocks  of  sheep  and  milch 
goats,  tended  by  shepherds  in  picturesque  dresses,  and 
guarded  by  numbers  of  large  Pyrenean  dogs,  whose 
chief  duty  was  to  protect  their  charge  from  the  wolves. 
They  saw  men  standing  knee-deep  in  the  water,  sur 
rounded  by  droves  of  pigs  —  the  latter  voluntarily  sub 
mitting  themselves  to  a  process  of  washing,  which 
resulted  in  producing  over  their  skins  a  roseate,  pinky 
appearance.  It  could  be  seen,  too,  that  these  pachyderms 
not  only  submitted  voluntarily  to  the  operation,  but  with 
a  keen  sense  of  enjoyment,  as  evinced  by  their  contented 


AN    ODD   AVALANCHE.  115 

grunts,  and  by  their  long  tails  hanging  "  kinkless  "  while 
the  large  calabashes  of  water  were  poured  over  their 
backs.  Perhaps  to  this  careful  management  of  the 
Pyrenean  pigs  are  the  beautiful  "  Bayonne  hams  "  in 
debted  for  their  celebrity. 

Further  on,  our  travellers  passed  a  plumire,  or  "  hen- 
batL"  Here  was  a  tank  —  another  thermal  spring  —  in 
which  the  water  was  something  more  than  "  tepid."  In 
fact,  it  was  almost  on  the  boil ;  and  yet  in  this  tank  a 
number  of  women  were  ducking  their  hens  —  not,  as 
might  be  supposed,  dead  ones,  in  order  to  scald  off  their 
feathers,  but  live  fowls,  to  rid  them,  as  they  said,  of  par 
asitical  insects,  and  make  them  feel  more  comfortable ! 
As  the  water  was  almost  hot  enough  to  parboil  the  poor 
birds,  and  as  the  women  held  them  in  it  immersed  to  the 
necks,  the  comfort  of  the  thing  —  so  thought  our  trav 
ellers  —  was  rather  a  doubtful  question. 

A  little  further  on,  another  "  custom  "  of  the  French 
Pyrenees  came  under  the  eyes  of  the  party.  Their  ears 
were  assailed  by  a  singular  medley  of  sounds,  that  rose 
from  a  little  valley  near  the  side  of  the  road.  On  look 
ing  into  the  valley,  they  saw  a  crowd  of  forty  or  fifty 
women,  all  engaged  in  the  same  operation,  which  was 
that  of  flax-hackling.  They  learnt  from  this  that  in  the 
Pyrenean  countries  the  women  are  the  hacklers  of  flax  ; 
and  that,  instead  of  each  staying  at  her  own  home  to 
perform  the  operation,  a  large  number  of  them  meet  to 
gether  in  some  shaded  spot,  bringing  their  unhackled  flax 
along  with  them  ;  and  there,  amidst  jesting  and  laughing 
and  singing,  the  rough  staple  is  reduced  to  its  shining 
and  silky  fineness. 


116  BRUIN. 

Still  another  curious  custom  was  observed ;  but  this 
was  further  on,  and  higher  up  the  sides  of  the  mountains. 
Their  observation  of  it  was  attended  with  some  degree 
of  danger,  and  therefore  came  very  close  on  being  an 
"  adventure."  For  this  reason  it  found  a  place  among 
the  events  recorded  in  their  journal. 

It  should  be  remarked,  that  all  three  were  mounted 
—  Alexis  and  Ivan  upon  stout,  active  ponies,  of  that 
race  for  which  the  Pyrenees  —  especially  the  western 
section  of  them  —  are  celebrated.  Pouchskin's  mount 
was  not  of  the  genus  equus,  nor  yet  an  asinus,  but  a 
hybrid  of  both  genera,  —  in  short,  a  mule. 

It  was  a  French  mule,  and  a  very  large  one  :  for  it 
required  a  good-sized  quadruped  of  the  kind  to  make  an 
appropriate  roadster  for  the  ex-grenadier  of  the  Impe 
rial  guard.  It  was  not  a  very  fat  mule,  however,  but 
rawboned  and  gaunt  as  a  Pyrenean  wolf. 

Of  course  these  animals  were  all  hired  ones- — ob 
tained  at  Eaux  Bonnes,  and  engaged  for  the  trip  across 
the  Pyrenees  to  the  Spanish  side  —  as  also  to  be  used  in 
any  deviations  that  the  hunters  should  think  proper  to 
make,  while  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  the  bear. 

From  the  nearest  village  on  the  Spanish  side,  the  an 
imals  were  to  be  sent  back  to  their  owner  ;  for  it  was  not 
the  intention  of  our  travellers  to  return  to  the  French 
territory. 

Having  crossed  the  mountains,  and  accomplishing  the 
object  for  which  they  had  visited  them,  their  course  would 
then  be  continued  southward  through  Spain. 

Along  with  them  —  also  mounted  on  mule-back  —  was 
a  fourth  individual,  whose  services  they  had  secured. 


AN    ODD    AVALANCHE.  117 

His  metier  was  manifold  —  on  this  occasion  combining  in 
his  single  person  at  least  three  purposes.  First,  he  was 
to  serve  them  as  guide  ;  secondly,  he  was  to  bring  back 
the  hired  horses  ;  and,  thirdly,  he  was  to  aid  them  in  the 
"  chasse  "  of  the  bear :  for  it  so  happened  that  this  man- 
of-all-work  was  one  of  the  most  noted  "  izzard-hunters " 
of  the  Pyrenees.  It  is  scarcely  correct  to  say  it  happened 
so.  Raiher  was  it  a  thing  of  design  than  chance  ;  for  it 
was  on  account  of  his  fame  as  a  hunter,  that  he  had  been 
engaged  for  the  triple  duty  he  was  now  called  upon  to 
fulfil. 

The  four  travellers,  then,  all  mounted  as  we  have  de 
scribed,  were  ascending  a  very  steep  declivity.  They 
had  left  the  last  hamlet  —  and  even  the  last  house  — 
behind  them ;  and  were  now  climbing  one  of  the  outlying 
spurs  that  project  many  miles  from  the  main  axis  of  the 
mountains.  The  road  they  were  following  scarcely  de 
served  the  name  ;  being  a  pack-road,  or  mere  bridle 
path  ;  and  so  steep  was  the  ascent,  that  it  was  necessary 
to  zigzag  nearly  a  dozen  times,  before  the  summit  of 
the  ridge  could  be  attained. 

While  entering  upon  this  path,  and  near  the  base  of 
the  ridge,  they  had  noticed  the  forms  of  men  far  above 
them,  moving  about  the  summit,  as  if  engaged  in  some 
work.  Their  guide  told  them  that-  these  men  were  fag 
got-cutters,  whose  business  was  to  procure  firewood  for 
the  towns  in  the  valley. 

There  was  nothing  in  this  bit  of  information  to  produce 
astonishment.  What  did  astonish  our  travellers,  however, 
was  the  mode  in  which  these  men  transported  their  fire 
wood  down  the  mountain,  of  which,  shortly  after,  they 


118  BRUIN. 

were  treated  to  an  exhibition.  As  they  were  zigzagging 
up  the  mountain-path,  their  ears  were  all  at  once  saluted 
by  a  noise  that  resembled  a  crashing  of  stones,  mingled 
with  a  crackling  of  sticks.  The  noise  appeared  to  pro 
ceed  from  above  ;  and,  on  looking  up,  they  beheld  a 
number  of  dark  objects  coming  in  full  rush  down  the 
declivity.  These  objects  were  of  rounded  form  —  in  fact, 
they  were  bundles  of  faggots  —  and  so  rapidly  did  they 
roll  over,  and  make  way  down  the  mountain,  that  had  our 
travellers  chanced  to  be  in  their  track,  they  might  have 
found  some  difficulty  in  getting  out  of  the  way. 

Such  was  their  reflection  at  the  moment ;  and  they 
were  even  thanking  their  stars  that  they  had  escaped  the 
danger,  when  all  at  once  a  fresh  avalanche  of  faggots 
was  launched  from  above ;  and  these  were  evidently 
bounding  straight  towards  the  party  !  It  was  impossible 
to  tell  which  way  to  go  —  whether  to  rush  forward  or 
draw  back :  for  what  with  the  inequality  of  the  moun 
tain-side,  and  the  irregular  rolling  of  the  bundles,  they 
could  not  tell  the  exact  direction  they  would  take.  All 
therefore  drew  up,  and  waited  the  result  in  silent  appre 
hension.  Of  course  they  had  not  long  to  wait  —  scarce  a 
second  —  for  the  huge  bundles  bounding  on,  each  moment 
with  increased  impetus,  came  down  with  the  suddenness 
of  a  thunder-clap ;  and  before  the  words  "  Jack  Robin 
son  "  could  have  been  pronounced,  they  went  whizzing 
past  with  the  velocity  of  aerolites,  and  with  such  a  force, 
that  had  one  of  them  struck  either  mule  or  pony  it  would 
have  hurled  both  the  quadruped  and  its  rider  to  the  bot 
tom  of  the  mountain.  It  was  only  their  good  fortune 
that  saved  them :  for  in  such  a  place  it  would  have  been 


AN    ODD    AVALANCHE.  119 

impossible  for  the  most  adroit  equestrian  to  have  got  out 
of  the  way.  The  path  was  not  the  two  breadths  of  a 
horse ;  and  to  have  wheeled  round,  or  even  drawn  back 
upon  it,  would  have  been  a  risk  of  itself. 

They  rode  on,  again  congratulating  themselves  on 
their  escape ;  but  fancy  their  consternation  when  they 
found  themselves  once  more,  and  for  the  third  time,  ex 
posed  to  the  very  same  danger  !  Again  came  a  set  of 
bundles  rolling  and  tearing  down  the  slope,  the  billets 
rattling  and  crackling  as  they  rolled ;  again  they  went 
swishing  by ;  again,  by  the  merest  accident,  did  they 
miss  the  travellers,  as  they  stood  upon  the  path. 

Now,  it  might  be  supposed  that  the  faggots  were 
being  launched  all  along  the  ridge  of  the  hill  ;  and 
that,  go  which  way  they  might,  our  party  would  still  be 
exposed  to  the  danger.  Not  so.  The  bundles  were  all 
rolled  down  at  one  particular  place  —  where  the  slope 
was  most  favorable  for  this  purpose  —  but  it  was  the  zig 
zag  path,  which  every  now  and  then  obliqued  across  the 
line  of  the  wood-avalanche,  that  had  thus  repeatedly 
placed  them  in  peril. 

As  they  had  yet  to  "  quarter "  the  declivity  several 
times  before  they  could  reach  the  summit,  they  were 
more  careful  about  approaching  the  line  of  descent ;  and 
whenever  they  drew  near  it,  they  put  their  ponies  and 
mules  to  as  good  a  speed  as  they  could  take  out  of 
them. 

Though  all  four  succeeded  in  reaching  the  summit  in 
safety,  it  did  not  hinder  Pouchskin  from  pouring  out  his 
vial  of  wrath  on  the  heads  of  the  offending  wood-cutters ; 
and  if  they  could  have  only  understood  his  Russian,  they 


120  BRUIN. 

would  have  heard  themselves  called  by  a  good  many 
hard  names,  and  threatened  with  a  second  pursuit  of  Mos 
cow.  "  Frog-eating  Frenchmen  !  "  was  the  very  mildest 
title  which  the  ex-guardsman  bestowed  upon  them ;  but 
as  his  Russian  was  not  translated,  of  course  the  phrase 
fell  harmless  —  else  it  would  have  undoubtedly  been 
retaliated  by  a  taunt  about  "tallow." 

The  "  izzard-hunter  "  swore  at  them  to  more  purpose  ; 
for  he,  too,  having  undergone  equal  risk  with  the  rest  of 
the  party,  had  equally  good  reasons  for  being  angry ;  and 
giving  utterance  to  a  long  string  of  execrations  with  all 
the  volubility  of  a  Bearnais,  he  further  threatened  them 
with  the  terrors  of  the  law. 

As  the  wood-cutters,  slightly  stupefied  by  this  unex 
pected  attack,  submitted  with  tolerable  grace,  and  said 
nothing  in  reply,  the  izzard-hunter  at  length  cooled  down, 
and  the  party  proceeded  on  their  way ;  Pouchskin,  as  he 
rode  off,  shaking  his  clenched  fist  at  the  staring  log-chop 
pers,  and  hissing  out  in  angry  aspirate  another  Russian 
shibboleth,  which  neither  could  nor  should  be  trans 
lated. 


A   MEETING    WITH   MULETEERS.  121 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

A   MEETING    WITH   MULETEERS. 

A  LITTLE  beyond  the  scene  of  their  encounter  with 
the  wood-cutters,  the  path  entered  among  the  gorges  of 
the  mountains,  and  the  level  plains  of  France  were  for  a 
time  lost  to  their  view.  The  route  they  were  following 
was  a  mere  bridle-track,  quite  impracticable  for  carriages, 
but  leading  to  one  of  the  "  ports  "  already  mentioned,  by 
which  they  could  pass  through  to  the  Spanish  side. 
Through  this  port  a  considerable  traffic  is  carried  on  be 
tween  the  two  countries  —  most  of  the  carrying  being 
done  by  Spanish  muleteers,  who  cross  the  mountains 
conducting  large  trains  of  mules  — •  all,  except  those 
upon  which  they  themselves  ride,  laden  with  packs  and 
bales  of  merchandise. 

That  such  a  traffic  was  carried  over  this  route,  our 
Russian  travellers  needed  no  other  evidence  than  what 
came  under  their  own  eyes ;  for  shortly  after,  on  round 
ing  a  point  of  rock,  they  saw  before  them  a  large  drove 
of  mules,  gayly  caparisoned  with  red  cloth  and  stamped 
leather,  and  each  carrying  its  pack.  The  gang  hal 
halted  on  a  platform  of  no  great  breadth ;  and  the  drivers 
—  about  a  dozen  men  in  all  —  were  seen  seated  upon  the 
rocks,  a  little  way  in  advance  of  the  animals.  Each 
6 


122  BRUIN. 

wore  a  capacious  cloak  of  brown  cloth  —  a  favorite  color 
among  the  Pyrenean  Spaniards  ;  and  what  with  their 
swarthy  complexions,  bearded  lips,  and  wild  attire,  it 
would  have  been  pardonable  enough  to  have  mistaken 
them  for  a  band  of  brigands,  or,  at  all  events,  a  party 
of  contrabandistas. 

They  were  neither  one  nor  the  other,  however ;  but 
honest  Spanish  muleteers,  on  their  way  to  a  French 
market,  with  commodities  produced  on  the  southern 
side  of  the  mountains. 

As  our  travellers  came  up,  they  were  in  the  act  of 
discussing  a  luncheon,  which  consisted  simply  of  black 
bread,  tough  goat's-milk  cheese,  and  thin  Malaga  wine 
—  the  last  carried  in  a  skin  bag,  out  of  which  each  indi 
vidual  drank  in  his  turn,  simply  holding  up  the  bag  and 
pouring  the  wine  by  a  small  jet  down  his  throat. 

They  were  good-humored  fellows,  and  invited  our  trav 
ellers  to  taste  their  wine ;  which  invitation  it  would  have 
been  ill-mannered  to  refuse.  Ivan  and  Alexis  emptied 
some  out  into  their  silver  cups  —  which  they  carried 
slung  conveniently  to  their  belts  ;  but  Pouchskin,  not 
having  his  can  so  ready,  essayed  to  drink  the  wine  after 
the  fashion  of  the  muleteers.  But  the  goat-skin  bag, 
clumsily  manipulated  in  the  hands  of  the  old  guards 
man,  instead  of  sending  the  stream  into  his  mouth,  jetted 
it  all  over  his  face  and  into  his  eyes,  blinding  and  half- 
choking  him !  As  he  stood  in  his  stultified  attitude,  wine 
skin  in  hand,  the  precious  fluid  running  down  his  nose, 
and  dripping  from  the  tips  of  his  grand  mustachios,  he 
presented  a  picture  that  caused  the  muleteers  to  laugh 
till  the  tears  ran  down  their  cheeks ;  shouting  out  their 


A   MEETING    WITH   MULETEERS.  123 

bravos  and  other  exclamations,  as  if  they  were  applauding 
some  exquisite  piece  of  performance  in  a  theatre. 

Pouchskin  took  it  all  in  good  part,  and  the  muleteers 
pressed  him  to  try  again  ;  but,  not  caring  to  expose  him 
self  to  a  fresh  burst  of  ridicule,  the  old  grenadier  bor 
rowed  the  cup  of  one  of  his  young  masters  ;  and  by  the 
help  of  this  managed  matters  a  little  more  to  his  mind. 
As  the  wine  tasted  good  to  the  old  soldier's  palate,  and  as 
the  hospitable  muleteers  invited  him  to  drink  as  much  as 
he  pleased,  it  was  not  until  the  goat-skin  bag  exhibited 
symptoms  of  collapse,  that  he  returned  it  to  its  owners. 

Perhaps  had  Pouchskin  not  indulged  so  freely  in  the 
seducing  Malaga  tipple,  he  might  have  avoided  a  very 
perilous  adventure  which  befell  him  almost  on  the  in 
stant,  and  which  we  shall  now  relate. 

Our  travellers,  after  exchanging  some  further  civilities 
with  the  muleteers,  had  once  more  mounted,  and  were 
about  proceeding  on  their  way.  Pouchskin,  riding  his 
great  French  jennet,  had  started  in  the  advance.  Just  in 
front  of  him,  however,  the  pack  mules  were  standing  in  a 
cluster  —  not  only  blocking  up  the  path,  but  barring  the 
way  on  both  sides  —  so  that  to  get  beyond  them  it  would 
be  necessary  to  pass  through  their  midst.  The  animals 
all  seemed  tranquil  enough,  —  some  picking  at  the  bushes 
that  were  within  their  reach,  but  most  of  them  standing 
perfectly  still,  occasionally  shaking  their  long  ears,  or 
changing  one  leg  to  throw  the  weight  upon  another. 
Pouchskin  saw  that  it  was  necessary  to  pass  among  them ; 
and,  probably,  had  he  squeezed  quietly  through,  they 
might  have  remained  still,  and  taken  no  notice  of  him. 
But  elated  with  the  wine  he  had  drunk,  the  ex-grenadier, 


124  BRUIN. 

instead  of  following  this  moderate  course,  drove  his  spurs 
into  his  great  French  hybrid,  and  with  a  loud  charging 
yell  —  such  as  might  have  issued  from  the  throat  of  a 
Cossack  —  he  dashed  right  into  the  midst  of  the  drove. 

Whether  it  was  because  the  animal  he  bestrode  was 
French,  or  whether  something  in  Pouchskin's  voice  had 
sounded  ill  in  their  ears,  it  is  not  possible  to  say,  but  all 
at  once  the  whole  Spanish  mulada  was  perceived  to  be  in 
motion,  —  each  individual  mule  rushing  toward  Pouch- 
skin  with  pricked  ears,  open  mouth,  and  tail  elevated  in 
the  air !  It  was  too  late  for  him  to  hear  the  cry  of  the 
izzard-hunter,  " prenez-garde  !  "  or  the  synonyme, "  guarda 
te  ! "  of  the  muleteers.  He  may  have  heard  both  these 
cautionary  exclamations,  but  they  reached  him  too  late 
to  be  of  any  service  to  him  :  for  before  he  could  have 
counted  six,  at  least  twice  that  number  of  mules  had 
closed  round  him,  and  with  a  simultaneous  scream  com 
menced  snapping  and  biting  at  both  him  and  his  French 
roadster  with  all  the  fury  of  famished  wolves  !  In  vain 
did  the  stalwart  jennet  defend  itself  with  its  shod  hoofs, 
in  vain  did  its  rider  lay  round  him  with  his  whip  :  for  not 
only  did  the  Spanish  mules  assail  him  with  their  teeth, 
but,  turning  tail  as  well,  they  sent  their  heels  whistling 
around  his  head,  and  now  and  then  thumping  against 
his  legs,  until  his  leather  boots  and  breeches  cracked 
under  their  kicks  ! 

Of  course,  the  muleteers,  on  perceiving  Pouchskin's 
dilemma,  had  rushed  instantaneously  to  the  rescue  ;  and, 
with  loud  cries,  and  cracking  of  their  whips,  —  as  mulet 
eers  alone  can  crack  them,  —  were  endeavoring  to  beat 
off  the  assailants.  But,  with  all  their  exertions,  backed 


A  MEETING   WITH   MULETEERS.  125 

by  their  authority  over  the  animals,  Pouchskin  might 
have  fared  badly  enough,  had  not  an  opportunity  offered 
for  extricating  himself.  His  animal,  fleeing  from  the 
persecution  of  its  Spanish  enemies,  had  rushed  in  among 
some  boulders  of  rock.  Thither  it  was  hotly  pursued; 
and  Pouchskin  would  again  have  been  overtaken,  had  he 
not  made  a  very  skilful  and  extensive  leap  out  of  the 
saddle,  and  landed  himself  on  a  ledge  of  rock.  From 
this  he  was  able  to  clamber  still  higher,  until  he  had 
reached  a  point  that  entirely  cleared  him  of  the  danger. 

The  French  jennet,  however,  had  still  to  sustain  the 
attack  of  the  infuriated  mules  ;  but,  now  that  it  was  re 
lieved  from  the  encumbrance  of  its  heavy  rider,  it  gained 
fresh  confidence  in  its  long  legs;  and  making  a  dash 
through  the  midst  of  the  mulada,  it  struck  off  up  the 
mountain -path,  and  galloped  clear  out  of  sight.  The 
mules,  encumbered  with  their  packs,  did  not  show  any 
inclination  to  follow,  and  the  drama  was  thus  brought  to 
a  termination. 

The  woebegone  look  of  the  old  guardsman,  as  he  stood 
perched  upon  the  high  pinnacle  of  rock,  was  again  too 
much  for  the  muleteers ;  and  one  and  all  of  them  gave 
utterance  to  fresh  peals  of  laughter.  His  young  masters 
were  too  much  concerned  about  their  faithful  Pouckskin 
to  give  way  to  mirth ;  but  on  ascertaining  that  he  had 
only  received  a  few  insignificant  bruises,  —  thanks  to  the 
Spanish  mules  not  being  shod,  —  they,  too,  were  very 
much  disposed  to  have  a  laugh  at  his  expense.  Alexis 
was  of  opinion  that  their  follower  had  made  rather  free 
with  the  wine-skin  ;  and  therefore  regarded  the  chastise 
ment  rather  in  the  light  of  a  just  retribution. 


126  BRUIN. 

It  cost  the  izzard-hunter  a  chase  before  Pouchskin's 
runaway  could  be  recovered ;  but  the  capture  of  the  jen 
net  was  at  length  effected ;  and,  all  things  being  set  to- 
rights,  a  parting  salute  was  once  more  exchanged  with 
the  muleteers,  and  the  travellers  proceeded  on  their 
way. 


THE  PYRENEAN  BEARS.  127 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

THE    PYRENEAN   BEARS. 

IT  was  well  they  had  the  izzard-hunter  for  a  guide, 
for  without  him  they  might  have  searched  a  long  time 
without  finding  a  bear.  These  animals,  although  plen 
teous  enough  in  the  Pyrenees  some  half-century  ago,  are 
now  only  to  be  met  with  in  the  most  remote  and  solitary 
places.  Such  forest-tracts  'as  lie  well  into  the  interior 
gorges  of  the  mountains,  and  where  the  lumberer's  axe 
never  sounds  in  his  ears,  are  the  winter  haunts  of  the 
Pyrenean  bear ;  while  in  summer  he  roams  to  a  higher 
elevation  —  along  the  lower  edge  of  the  snow-fields  and 
glaciers,  where  he  finds  the  roots  and  bulbs  of  many  Al 
pine  plants,  and  even  lichens,  congenial  to  his  taste.  He 
sometimes  steals  into  the  lower  valleys,  where  these  are 
but  sparsely  cultivated ;  and  gathers  a  meal  of  young 
maize,  or  potatoes,  where  such  are  grown.  Of  truffles, 
he  is  as  fond  as  a  Parisian  sybarite,  —  scenting  them 
with  a  keenness  far  excelling  that  of  the  regular  truffle- 
dog,  and  "  rooting  "  them  out  from  under  the  shade  of  the 
great  oak-trees,  where  these  rare  delicacies  are  inexpli 
cably  produced. 

Like  his  near  congener,  the  brown  bear,  he  is  frugiv- 
orous ;  and,  like  most  other  members  of  their  common 


128 


BRUIN. 


family,  he  possesses  a  sweet  tooth,  and  will  rob  bees  of  their 
honey  whenever  he  can  find  a  hive.  He  is  carnivorous 
at  times,  and  not  unfrequently  makes  havoc  among  the 
flocks  that  in  summer  are  fed  far  up  on  the  declivities 
of  the  mountains  ;  but  it  has  been  observed  by  the  shep 
herds  that  only  odd  individuals  are  given  to  this  san 
guinary  practice,  and,  as  a  general  rule,  the  bear  will 
not  molest  their  sheep.  On  this  account,  a  belief  exists 
among  the  mountaineers  that  there  are  two  kinds  of 
bears  in  the  Pyrenees  ;  one,  an  eater  of  fruits,  roots,  and 
larva,  —  the  other,  of  more  carnivorous  habits,  that  eats 
flesh,  and  preys  upon  such  animals  as  he  can  catch.  The 
latter  they  allege  to  be  larger,  of  more  fierce  disposition, 
and  when  assailed,  caring  not  to  avoid  an  encounter  with 
man.  The  facts  may  be  true,  but  the  deduction  errone 
ous.  The  izzard-hunter's  opinion  was  that  the  Pyrenean 
bears  were  all  of  one  species ;  and  that,  if  there  were 
two  kinds,  one  was  a  younger  and  more  unsophisticated 
sort,  the  other  a  bear  whom  greater  age  has  rendered 
more  savage  in  disposition.  The  same  remark  will 
apply  to  the  Pyrenean  bear  that  is  true  of  the  ursus 
arctosj  —  viz.  having  once  eaten  flesh,  he  acquires  a  taste 
for  it ;  and  to  gratify  this,  of  course  the  fiercest  passions 
of  his  nature  are  called  into  play.  Hunger  may  have 
driven  him  to  his  first  meal  of  flesh  meat;  and  after 
wards  he  seeks  it  from  choice. 

The  izzard-hunter's  father  remembered  when  bears 
were  common  enough  in  the  lower  valleys ;  and  then  not 
only  did  the  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  suffer  severely, 
but  the  larger  kinds  of  cattle  were  often  dragged  down 
by  the  ravenous  brutes  —  even  men  lost  their  lives  in 


THE   PYRENEAN   BEAKS.  129 

encounters  with  them!  In  modern  times,  such  occur 
rences  were  rare,  as  the  bears  kept  high  up  the  mountains, 
where  cattle  were  never  taken,  and  where  men  went  very 
seldom.  The  hunter  stated  that  the  bears  were  much 
sought  after  by  hunters  like  himself,  as  their  skins  were 
greatly  prized,  and  fetched  a  good  price ;  that  the  young 
bears  were  also  very  valuable,  and  to  capture  a  den  of 
cubs  was  esteemed  a  bit  of  rare  good  luck :  since  these 
were  brought  up  to  be  used  in  the  sports  of  bear-baiting 
and  bear-dancing,  spectacles  greatly  relished  in  the 
frontier  towns  of  France. 

He  knew  of  no  particular  mode  for  taking  bears.  Their 
chase  was  too  precarious  to  make  it  worth  while;  and 
they  were  only  encountered  accidentally  by  the  izzard- 
hunters,  when  in  pursuit  of  their  own  regular  game. 
Then  they  were  killed  by  being  shot,  if  old  ones ;  and 
if  young,  they  captured  them  by  the  aid  of  their  dogs. 

"  So  scarce  are  they,"  added  the  hunter,  "  that  I  have 
killed  only  three  this  whole  season ;  but  I  know  where 
there 's  a  fourth  —  a  fine  fellow,  too  ;  and  if  you  feel  in 
clined  " 

The  young  Russians  understood  the  hint.  Money  is 
all-powerful  everywhere ;  and  a  gold  coin  will  conduct 
to  the  den  of  a  Pyrenean  bear,  where  the  keenest- 
scented  hound  or  the  sharpest-sighted  hunter  would  fail 
to  find  it.  In  an  instant  almost,  the  bargain  was  made. 
Ten  dollars  for  the  haunt  of  the  bear ! 

The  Pic  du  Midi  d'Ossau  was  now  in  sight;  and, 

leaving  the  beaten  path  that  passed  near  its  base,  our 

hunters  turned  off  up  a  lateral  ravine.     The  sides  and 

bottom  of  this  ravine  were  covered  with  a  stunted  growth 

6*  I 


130  BRUIN. 

of  pine-trees ;  but  as  they  advanced  further  into  it,  the 
trees  assumed  greater  dimensions  —  until  at  length  they 
were  riding  through  a  tall  and  stately  forest.  It  was,  to 
all  appearance,  as  wild  and  primitive  as  if  it  had  been  on 
the  banks  of  the  Amazon  or  amid  the  Cordilleras  of  the 
Andes.  Neither  track  nor  trail  was  seen  —  only  the 
paths  made  by  wild  beasts,  or  such  small  rodent  animals 
as  had  their  home  there. 

The  izzard-hunter  said  that  he  had  killed  lynxes  in 
this  forest ;  and  at  night  he  would  not  care  to  be  alone 
in  it,  as  it  was  a  favorite  haunt  of  the  black  wolves. 
With  such  company,  however,  he  had  no  fear ;  as  they 
could  kindle  fires  and  keep  the  wolves  at  bay. 

The  neighborhood  in  which  he  expected  to  find  the 
bear  was  more  than  two  miles  from  the  place  where  they 
had  entered  the  forest.  He  knew  the  exact  spot  where 
the  animal  was  at  that  moment  lying  —  that  is,  he  knew 
its  cave.  He  had  seen  it  only  a  few  days  before,  going 
into  this  cave ;  but  as  he  had  no  dogs  with  him,  and  no 
means  of  getting  the  bear  out,  he  had  only  marked  the 
place,  intending  to  return,  with  a  comrade  to  help  him. 
Some  business  had  kept  him  at  Eaux  Bonnes,  till  the  ar 
rival  of  the  strangers ;  and  learning  their  intentions,  he 
had  reserved  the  prize  for  them.  He  had  now  brought 
his  dogs  —  two  great  creatures  they  were,  evidently  of 
lupine  descent  —  and  with  these  Bruin  might  be  baited 
till  he  should  come  forth  from  his  cave.  But  that  plan 
was  only  to  be  tried  as  a  last  resource.  The  better 
way  would  be  to  wait  till  the  bear  started  out  on  his  mid 
night  ramble,  —  a  thing  he  would  be  sure  to  do,  —  then 
close  up  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and  lie  in  ambush  for 


THE  PTRENEAN  BEARS.  131 

his  return.  He  would  "  not  come  home  till  morning," 
said  the  izzard-hunter ;  and  they  would  have  light  to 
take  aim,  and  fire  at  him  from  their  different  stations. 

It  seemed  a  feasible  plan,  and  as  our  adventurers 
now  placed  themselves  in  the  hands  of  the  native  hun 
ter,  it  was  decided  they  should  halt  where  they  were, 
kindle  a  fire,  and  make  themselves  as  comfortable  as 
they  could,  until  the  hour  when  Bruin  might  be  ex 
pected  to  go  out  upon  his  midnight  prowl. 

A  roaring  fire  was  kindled ;  and  Pouchskin's  capa 
cious  haversack  being  turned  inside  out,  all  four  were, 
soon  enjoying  their  dinner-supper  with  that  zest  well 
known  to  those  who  have  ridden  twenty  miles  up  a 
steep  mountain-road. 


132  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THE    IZZARD -HUNTER. 

THEY  passed  the  time  pleasantly  enough,  listening  to 
the  stories  of  the  izzard-hunter,  who  related  to  them 
much  of  the  lore  current  among  the  peasantry  of  the 
mountains  —  tales  of  the  chase,  and  of  the  contraband 
trade  carried  on  between  Spain  and  France,  besides 
many  anecdotes  about  the  Peninsular  war,  when  the 
French  and  English  armies  were  campaigning  in  the 
Pyrenees.  In  this  conversation  Pouchskin  took  part: 
for  nothing  was  of  greater  interest  to  the  old  soldier  than 
souvenirs  of  those  grand  times,  when  Pouchskin  entered 
Paris. 

The  conversation  of  the  izzard-hunter  related  chiefly 
to  his  own  calling,  and  upon  this  theme  he  was  enthusi 
astic.  He  told  them  of  all  the  curious  habits  of  the 
izzard;  and  among  others  that  of  its  using  its  booked 
horns  to  let  itself  down  from  the  cliffs  —  a  fancy  which 
is  equally  in  vogue  among  the  chamois-hunters  of  the 
Alps,  but  which  Alexis  did  not  believe,  although  he  did 
not  say  so  —  not  wishing  to  throw  a  doubt  on  the  vera 
city  of  their  guide.  The  latter,  however,  when  closely 
questioned  upon  the  point,  admitted  that  he  had  never 
himself  been  an  eyewitness  of  this  little  bit  of  goat  gym- 


THE   IZZABD-HtTNTER.  133 

nasties ;  he  had  only  heard  of  it  from  other  hunters,  who 
said  they  had  seen  it ;  and  similar,  no  doubt,  would  be 
the  answer  of  every  one  who  spoke  the  truth  about  this 
alleged  habit  of  the  chamois.  The  fact  is,  that  this  ac 
tive  creature  needs  no  help  from  its  horns.  Its  hoofs  are 
sufficient  to  carry  it  along  the  very  narrowest  ledges; 
and  the  immense  leaps  it  can  take  either  upward  or 
downward,  can  be  compared  to  nothing  but  the  flight  of 
some  creature  furnished  with  wings.  Its  hoof,  too,  is 
sure,  as  its  eye  is  unerring.  The  chamois  never  slips 
upon  the  smoothest  rocks  —  any  more  than  would  a 
squirrel  upon  the  branch  of  a  tree. 

Our  travellers  questioned  the  izzard-hunter  about  the 
profits  of  his  calling.  They  were  surprised  to  find  that 
the  emolument  was  so  trifling.  For  the  carcass  of  an 
izzard  he  received  only  ten  francs ;  and  for  the  skins  two 
or  three  more !  The  flesh  or  venison  was  chiefly  pur 
chased  by  the  landlords  of  the  hotels  —  of  which  there 
are  hundreds  at  the  different  watering-places  on  the 
French  side  of  the  Pyrenees.  The  visitors  were  fond 
of  izzard,  and  called  for  it  at  the  table.  Perhaps  they 
did  not  relish  it  so  much  as  they  pretended  to  do ;  but 
coming  from  great  cities,  and  places  where  they  never 
saw  a  chamois,  they  wished  to  be  able  to  say  they  had 
eaten  of  its  flesh.  In  this  conjecture  the  izzard-hunter 
was,  perhaps,  not  far  out.  A  considerable  quantity  of 
game  of  other  kinds  is  masticated  from  a  like  motive. 

It  was  suggested  by  Ivan,  that,  with  such  a  demand 
for  the  flesh,  the  izzard  should  fetch  a  better  price.  Ten 
francs  was  nothing. 

"  Ah ! "  replied  the  hunter  with  a  sigh,  "  that  is  easily 


134  BRUIN. 

explained,  monsieur!  The  hotel-keepers  are  too  cun 
ning,  both  for  us  and  their  guests.  If  we  were  to  charge 
more,  they  would  not  take  it  off  our  hands." 

"  But  they  would  be  under  the  necessity  of  having  it, 
since  their  guests  call  for  it." 

"  So  they  do ;  and  if  there  were  no  goats,  our  izzard- 
venison  would  sell  at  a  higher  price." 

"  How  ? "  demanded  Ivan,  puzzled  to  make  out  the 
connection  between  goats  and  izzard-venison. 

"  Goats  and  izzards  are  too  much  alike,  monsieur  — 
that  is,  after  being  skinned  and  cut  up.  The  hotel-keeper 
knows  this,  and  often  makes  'Nanny'  do  duty  for  izzard. 
Many  an  hotel  traveller  at  Eaux  Bonnes  may  be  heard 
praising  our  izzard's  flesh,  when  it  is  only  a  quarter  of 
young  kid  he  's  been  dining  upon.  Ha !  ha !  ha !  " 

And  the  hunter  laughed  at  the  cheat  —  though  he  well 
knew  that  its  practice  seriously  affected  the  income  of 
his  own  calling. 

But,  indeed,  if  the  truth  had  been  told,  the  man  fol 
lowed  the  chase  far  less  from  a  belief  in  its  being  a 
remunerative  profession,  than  from  an  innate  love  for  the 
hunter's  life.  So  enthusiastic  was  he  upon  the  theme, 
that  it  was  easy  to  see  he  would  not  have  exchanged  his 
calling  for  any  other  —  even  had  the  change  promised 
him  a  fortune !  It  is  so  with  professional  hunters  in  all 
parts  of  the  world,  who  submit  to  hardships,  and  often 
the  greatest  privations,  for  that  still  sweeter  privilege  of 
roaming  the  woods  and  wilds  at  will,  and  being  free  from 
the  cares  and  trammels  that  too  often  attach  themselves 
to  social  life. 

Conversing  on  such  topics,  the  party  sat  around  the 


THE   IZZARD-HUNTER.  135 

bivouac  fire  until  after  sunset,  when  their  guide  admon 
ished  them  that  they  would  do  well  to  take  a  few  hours 
of  sleep.  There  was  no  necessity  for  going  after  the 
bear  until  a  very  late  hour  —  that  is,  until  near  morning 
—  for  then  the  beast  would  be  most  likely  to  be  abroad. 
If  they  went  too  soon,  and  found  him  still  in  his  cave,  it 
was  not  so  certain  that  even  the  dogs  could  prevail  on 
him  to  turn  out.  It  might  be  a  large  cavern.  He  might 
give  battle  to  the  dogs  inside ;  and  big  as  they  were,  they 
would  be  worsted  in  an  encounter  of  that  sort :  since  a 
single  blow  from  the  paw  of  a  bear  is  sufficient  to  silence 
the  noisiest  individual  of  the  canine  kind.  The  dogs  — 
as  the  hunter  again  repeated  —  should  only  be  used  as  a 
last  resource.  The  other  plan  promised  better ;  as  the 
bear,  once  shut  out  of  his  cave,  would  be  compelled  to 
take  to  the  woods.  The  dogs  could  then  follow  him  up 
by  the  fresh  scent ;  and  unless  he  should  succeed  in  find 
ing  some  other  cavern  in  which  to  ensconce  himself,  they 
might  count  upon  coming  up  with  him.  It  was  not  un 
common  for  the  Pyrenean  bear,  when  pursued  by  dogs 
and  men,  to  take  to  a  tree ;  and  this  would  be  all  that 
their  hearts  could  desire  :  since  in  a  tree  the  bear  would 
be  easily  reached  by  the  bullets  of  their  guns.  Besides, 
they  might  have  a  chance,  when  he  returned  to  his  closed 
cave,  to  shoot  him  down  at  once ;  and  that  would  end  the 
matter  without  further  trouble. 

It  was  not  necessary  to  go  to  the  cave  until  near 
morning — just  early  enough  to  give  them  time  to  close 
up  the  entrance,  and  set  themselves  in  ambush  before 
day  broke.  On  this  account  the  guide  recommended 
them  to  take  some  sleep.  He  would  answer  for  it  that 
they  should  be  waked  up  in  time. 


136  BRUIN. 

This  advice  was  cheerfully  accepted  and  followed. 
Even  Pouchskin  required  repose,  after  the  rough  hand 
ling  he  had  received  at  the  mouths  of  the  mules ;  and  he 
was  now  quite  as  ready  as  his  young  masters  to  wrap 
himself  up  in  his  ample  grenadier  great-coat,  and  sur 
render  himself  into  the  arms  of  the  Pyrenean  Mor 
pheus. 


THE  AMBUSCADE.  137 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

THE   AMBUSCADE. 

TRUE  to  his  promise,  the  izzard-hunter  awoke  them 
about  an  hour  before  dawn;  and  having  saddled  and 
bridled  their  animals,  they  mounted  and  rode  off. 
Among  the  great  tree-trunks  it  was  very  dark ;  but  the 
hunter  knew  the  ground ;  and,  after  groping  along  for  half 
a  mile  farther,  and  somewhat  slowly,  they  arrived  at  the 
base  of  a  cliff.  Keeping  along  this  for  some  distance 
farther,  they  came  at  length  to  the  place  of  their  desti 
nation —  the  mouth  of  the  cave.  Even  through  the 
gloom,  they  could  see  a  darker  spot  upon  the  face  of  the 
rock,  which  indicated  the  entrance.  It  was  of  no  great 
size  —  about  large  enough  to  admit  the  body  of  a  man 
in  a  stooping  attitude  —  but  the  hunter  was  under  the 
impression  that  it  widened  inward,  and  led  to  a  grand 
cavern.  He  drew  his  inference,  not  from  having  ever 
explored  this  particular  cave,  but  from  knowing  that 
there  were  many  others  of  a  similar  kind  in  that  part  of 
the  mountains,  where  the  limestone  formation  was  favor 
able  to  such  cavities.  Had  it  been  only  a  hole  just  big 
enough  for  the  den  of  a  bear,  he  would  have  acted  very 
differently  —  then  there  would  have  been  a  hope  of 
drawing  Bruin  out  with  the  dogs ;  but  if  the  place  was 


138  BRUIN. 

an  actual  cavern,  where  the  beast  might  range  freely 
about,  the  hunter  knew  there  would  be  no  chance  of 
getting  him  out.  Their  presence  outside  once  suspected, 
the  bear  might  remain  for  days  within  his  secure  for 
tress  ;  and  a  siege  would  have  to  be  laid,  which  would  be 
a  tedious  affair,  and  might  prove  fruitless  in  the  end. 

For  this  reason,  great  caution  had  been  observed  as 
they  drew  near  the  cave.  They  feared  that  they  might 
come  upon  the  bear,  by  chance  wandering  about  in  the 
woods,  —  that  he  might  hear  them,  and,  taking  the 
alarm,  scamper  back  to  his  cavern. 

Acting  under  this  apprehension,  they  had  left  their 
animals  a  good  way  off — having  tied  them  to  the  trees 
—  and  had  approached  the  cave  on  foot,  without  mak 
ing  the  slightest  noise,  and  talking  to  each  other  only 
in  whispers. 

The  izzard-hunter  now  proceeded  to  put  his  designs 
into  execution.  While  the  others  had  been  sleeping,  he 
had  prepared  a  large  torch,  out  of  dry  splinters  of  the 
stone-pine ;  and  now  quietly  igniting  this,  set  it  in  the 
ground  near  the  base  of  the  cliff.  The  moment  the  bright 
flame  illuminated  the  entrance  to  the  cave,  all  stood  with 
their  guns  in  hand  ready  to  fire.  They  were  not  sure 
that  Bruin  had  gone  out  at  all.  He  might  still  be  abed. 
If  so,  the  light  of  the  torch  might  wake  him  up  and  tempt , 
him  forth  ;  therefore  it  was  best  to  be  prepared  for  such 
a  contingency. 

The  izzard-hunter  now  slipped  his  dogs,  which  up  to 
this  time  he  had  held  securely  in  the  leash.  As  soon  as 
they  were  free,  the  well-trained  animals,  knowing  what 
was  expected  of  them,  rushed  right  into  the  cave. 


THE   AMBUSCADE.  139 

For  some  seconds  the  dogs  kept  up  a  quick  continuous 
yelping,  and  their  excited  manner  told  that  they  at  least 
scented  a  bear :  but  the  question  to  be  determined  was, 
whether  the  brute  was  still  in  his  den. 

The  hunter  had  surmised  correctly.  The  aperture 
conducted  to  a  real  cavern,  and  a  very  large  one  —  as 
could  be  told  by  the  distance  at  which  the  yelping  of  the 
dogs  was  heard.  Out  of  such  a  place  it  would  have  been 
hopeless  to  have  thought  of  starting  a  bear  —  unless  it 
should  please  Bruin  to  make  a  voluntary  exit.  It  was, 
therefore,  with  no  little  anxiety  that  the  hunters  listened 
to  the  "  tongue  "  of  the  dogs,  as  it  echoed  within  the  cav 
ernous  hollow. 

They  all  knew  that  if  the  bear  should  prove  to  be 
inside,  the  dogs  would  soon  announce  the  fact  by  their 
barking,  and  other  fierce  sounds  characteristic  of  canine 
strife. 

They  were  not  kept  long  in  suspense;  for,  after  an 
interval  of  less  than  a  minute,  both  dogs  came  running 
out,  with  that  air  of  disappointment  that  told  of  their 
having  made  an  idle  exploration. 

Their  excited  movements,  however,  proved  that  the 
scent  of  the  bear  was  fresh,  —  that  he  had  only  recently 
forsaken  his  den,  —  for  the  dogs  had  been  heard  scratch 
ing  among  the  sticks  and  grass  that  composed  it ;  but  this 
only  showed  clearly  that  his  habitation  was  untenanted, 
and  Bruin  was  "  not  at  home." 

This  was  just  what  the  izzard-hunter  desired  ;  and  all 
of  them  laying  aside  their  guns,  proceeded  to  close  up  the 
entrance.  This  was  an  easy  task.  Loose  boulders  lay 
around,  and  with  these  a  battery  was  soon  built  across 


140  BRUIN. 

the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  through  which  no  animal  could 
possibly  have  made  an  entrance. 

The  hunters  now  breathed  freely.  They  felt  certain 
they  had  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  bear ;  and  unless  he 
should  suspect  something  wrong,  and  fail  to  return  to  his 
cave,  they  would  be  pretty  sure  of  having  a  shot  at  him. 

Nothing  remained  but  to  place  themselves  in  ambush, 
and  wait  for  his  coming.  How  to  conceal  themselves 
became  the  next  consideration.  It  was  a  question,  too, 
of  some  importance.  They  knew  not  which  way  the 
bear  might  come.  He  might  see  them  while  approach 
ing,  and  trot-  off  again  before  a  shot  could  be  fired. 
To  prevent  this  gome  extraordinary  measure  must  be 
adopted. 

A  plan  soon  presented  itself  to  the  practised  hunter 
of  the  Pyrenees.  Directly  in  front  of  the  cliff  grew 
several  large  trees.  They  were  of  the  pinus  sylvestris, 
and  thickly  covered  with  bunches  of  long  needle-shaped 
leaves.  If  they  should  climb  into  these  trees,  the  leaves 
and  branches  would  sufficiently  conceal  them,  and  the 
bear  would  hardly  suspect  their  presence  in  such  a 
situation. 

The  suggestion  of  their  guide  was  at  once  acted  upon. 
Ivan  and  Pouchskin  got  into  one  tree,  while  the  izzard- 
hunter  and  Alexis  chose  another ;  and  all  having  secured 
places  where  they  could  command  a  view  of  the  walled- 
up  entrance  without  being  themselves  seen,  they  waited 
for  daylight  and  the  coming  back  of  the  bear. 


A   BEAK   IN   A   BIRD'S-NEST.  141 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

A   BEAR   IN   A   BIRD'S-NEST. 

FOR  the  light  they  had  not  long  to  wait.  The  day 
broke  almost  as  soon  as  they  had  got  well  settled  in  their 
places ;  but  the  bear  was  likely  to  delay  them  a  little 
longer  —  though  how  long  it  was  impossible  to  guess, 
since  his  return  to  his  sleeping-quarters  might  depend  on 
many  contingencies.  Formerly  the  Pyrenean  bears  — 
so  the  izzard-hunter  said  —  were  often  met  with  ranging 
about  in  the  daytime;  but  that  was  when  they  were 
more  numerous,  and  less  hunted.  Now  that  they  were 
scarce,  and  their  skins  so  highly  prized  —  which,  of 
course,  led  to  their  becoming  scarcer  every  day,  and 
more  shy  too  —  they  rarely  ever  left  their  hiding-place 
except  during  the  night,  and  in  this  way  they  contrived 
to  escape  the  vigilance  of  the  hunters.  As  to  the  one 
they  were  waiting  for,  the  hunter  said  he  might  return 
earlier  or  later,  according  to  whether  he  had  been  much 
chased  of  late. 

The  exact  time  of  his  return,  however,  was  soon  after 
ascertained,  by  the  bear  himself  making  his  appearance 
right  under  their  noses. 

All  at  once,  and  in  the  most  unexpected  manner,  the 
great  quadruped  came  shuffling  up  to  the  mouth  of  the 


142  BRUIN. 

cave.  He  was  evidently  moving  under  some  excitement, 
as  if  pursued,  or  alarmed  by  something  he  had  seen  in 
the  woods.  It  was  perhaps  the  sight  of  the  horses,  or 
else  the  scent  of  the  hunters  themselves  —  on  whose 
track  he  appeared  to  have  come.  Whatever  it  was,  the 
party  hi  the  trees  did  not  take  time  to  consider,  or  rather 
the  bear  did  not  give  them  time ;  for,  the  moment  he 
reached  the  entrance  to  his  cave,  and  saw  that  it  was 
blocked  up,  he  gave  utterance  to  a  terrific  scream  ex 
pressing  disappointment,  and  turning  in  his  tracks.,  bound 
ed  off,  as  rapidly  as  he  had  come  up  ! 

The  volley  of  four  shots,  fired  from  the  trees,  caused 
some  of  his  fur  to  fly  off;  and  he  was  seen  to  stagger,  as 
if  about  to  fall.  The  hunters  raised  a  shout  of  triumph, 
thinking  they  had  been  successful ;  but  their  satisfaction 
was  short-lived :  for,  before  the  echoes  of  their  voices 
died  along  the  cliff,  the  bear  seemed  once  more  to  re 
cover  his  equilibrium,  and  ran  steadily  on. 

Once  or  twice  he  was  seen  to  stop,  and  face  round  to 
the  trees  —  as  if  threatening  to  charge  towards  them ; 
but  again  resigning  the  intention,  he  increased  his  speed, 
went  off  at  a  lumbering  gallop,  and  was  soon  lost  to  their 
sight. 

The  disappointed  hunters  rapidly  descended  from  their 
perch  ;  and  letting  loose  the  dogs,  started  off  on  the  trail. 
Somewhat  to  their  surprise,  as  well  as  gratification,  it  led 
near  the  place  where  they  had  left  their  animals ;  and  as 
they  came  up  to  these,  they  had  proofs  of  the  bear  hav 
ing  passed  that  way,  by  seeing  all  four,  both  ponies  and 
mules,  dancing  about,  as  if  suddenly  smitten  with  mad 
ness.  The  ponies  were  "  whighering,"  and  the  mules 


143 


squealing,  so  that  their  owners  had  heard  them  long  be 
fore  coming  in  sight  of  them.  Fortunately  the  animals 
had  been  securely  fastened  —  else  there  was  no  knowing 
whither  they  would  have  galloped,  so  panic-stricken  did 
they  appear. 

Our  hunters  believed  it  a  fortunate  circumstance  that 
the  bear  had  gone  that  way ;  for  the  guide  assured  them 
that  there  was  no  telling  where  he  would  now  stop  ;  and 
as  the  chase  might  carry  them  for  miles  through  the 
mountains,  they  would  have  been  compelled  to  take  to 
their  saddles  before  starting  upon  it.  The  direction  the 
bear  had  taken,  therefore,  was  just  the  one  most  conven 
ient  for  his  pursuers. 

Staying  no  longer  than  to  untie  their  animals,  they 
once  more  mounted,  and  kept  after  the  dogs,  whose  yelp 
ing  they  could  hear  already  some  distance  in  the  advance. 

As  the  izzard-hunter  said,  the  Pyrenean  bear,  like  his 
Norwegian  cousin,  when  started  from  his  lair,  often  scours 
the  country  to  a  great  distance  before  making  halt  —  not 
unfrequently  deserting  the  ravine  or  mountain-side,  where 
he  habitually  dwells,  and  making  for  some  other  place, 
where  he  anticipates  finding  greater  security. 

In  this  way  he  often  puts  his  pursuers  at  fault  —  by 
passing  over  rocky  shingle,  along  ledges  of  cliffs,  or  up 
precipitous  slopes,  where  neither  men  nor  dogs  can  safely 
follow  him.  Xhis  was  just  what  they  now  had  to  fear ; 
for  the  guide  well  knew  that  the  forest  they  were  in  was 
surrounded  on  almost  every  side  by  rocky  cliffs  ;  and  if 
the  bear  should  get  up  these,  and  make  to  the  bald  moun 
tains  above,  they  would  stand  a  good  chance  of  losing 
him  altogether. 


144  BRUIN. 

But  one  hope  the  hunter  had.  He  had  perceived  — 
as  indeed  they  all  had  —  that  several  of  their  shots  had 
hit  the  bear  —  and  that  he  must  be  severely  wounded 
to  have  staggered  as  he  had  done.  For  this  reason  he 
might  seek  a  hiding-place  in  the  forest,  or  perchance  take 
to  a  tree.  Cheered  by  this  hope,  the  pursuers  pushed 
onward. 

The  conjecture  proved  to  be  a  just  one ;  for  before 
they  had  gone  half  a  mile  farther,  a  continuous  barking 
sounded  on  their  ears,  which  they  knew  to  be  that  of  the 
dogs.  They  knew,  moreover,  by  this  sign,  that  the  bear 
had  done  one  of  three  things  —  either  taken  to  a  tree, 
retreated  into  a  cave,  or  come  to  a  stand  in  the  open 
ground,  and  was  keeping  the  dogs  at  bay.  Of  the  three 
conjectures,  they  desired  that  the  first  should  prove  the 
correct  one ;  and  from  the  manner  in  which  the  dogs 
were  giving  tongue,  they  had  reason  to  hope  that  it 
would. 

In  effect  so  it  did ;  for,  on  getting  a  little  closer,  the 
two  dogs  were  seen  bounding  about  the  roots  of  an  enor 
mous  tree,  at  intervals  springing  up  against  its  trunk,  and 
barking  at  some  object  that  had  taken  refuge  in  the 
branches  above. 

Of  course,  this  object  could  only  be  the  bear ;  and 
under  this  belief,  the  pursuers  approached  the  tree  — 
each  holding  his  gun  cocked  and  ready  to  fire. 

When  they  had  got  quite  up  to  the  tree,  and  stood 
under  it,  no  bear  was  to  be  seen !  A  large  black  mass 
was  visible  among  the  topmost  branches ;  but  this  was 
not  the  body  of  a  bear :  it  was  something  altogether  dif 
ferent.  The  tree  was  one  of  gigantic  size  —  the  very 


A   BEAR   IN   A   BIRD'S-NEST.  145 

largest  they  had  seen  in  the  whole  forest ;  it  was  a  pine, 
of  the  species  sylvestris,  with  huge  spreading  limbs,  and 
branches  thickly  covered  with  fascicles  of  long  leaves. 
In  many  places  the  foliage  was  dark  and  dense  enough  to 
have  afforded  concealment  to  an  animal  of  considerable 
size  ;  but  not  one  so  bulky  as  a  bear ;  and  had  there 
been  nothing  else  but  the  leaves  and  branches  to  conceal 
him,  a  bear  could  not  have  found  shelter  in  that  tree 
without  being  visible  from  below.  And  yet  a  bear  was 
actually  in  it  —  the  very  same  bear  they  were  in  pursuit 
of —  though  not  a  bit  of  his  bpdy  —  not  even  the  tip  of 
his  snout,  was  visible  to  the  eyes  of  the  hunters  ! 

He  was  certainly  there :  for  the  dogs,  who  were  not 
trusting  to  their  eyes,  but  to  that  in  which  they  placed 
far  more  confidence  —  their  scent,  —  by  their  movements 
and  behavior,  showed  their  positive  belief  that  Bruin 
was  in  the  tree. 

Perhaps  you  will  fancy  that  the  pine  was  a  hollow  one, 
and  that  the  bear  had  crept  inside.  Nothing  of  the  kind : 
the  tree  was  perfectly  sound  —  not  even  a  knot-hole  was 
visible  either  in  its  trunk  or  limbs.  It  was  not  in  a 
cavity  that  Bruin  had  been  able  to  conceal  himself. 

There  was  no  mystery  whatever  about  their  not  seeing 
him  :  for  as  soon  as  the  hunters  got  fairly  under  the  tree, 
and  looked  up,  they  perceived,  amidst  its  topmost  branch 
es,  the  dark  object  already  mentioned ;  and  as  the  bear 
could  be  seen  nowhere  else  in  the  tree,  this  object  ac 
counted  for  his  being  invisible. 

You  will  be  wondering  what  it  was  ;  and  so  wondered 
our  young  hunters  when  they  first  raised  their  eyes  to  it. 
It  looked  more  like  a  stack  of  faggots  than  aught  else ; 
7 


146  BRUIN. 

and,  indeed,  very  good  faggots  would  it  have  made  :  since 
it  consisted  of  a  large  mass  of  dry  sticks  and  branches, 
resting  in  an  elevated  fork  of  the  tree,  and  matted  to 
gether  into  a  solid  mass.  There  were  enough  to  have 
made  a  load  for  an  ordinary  cart,  and  so  densely  packed 
together,  that  only  around  the  edges  could  the  sky  lie 
seen  through  them  ;  towards  the  centre,  and  for  a  diame 
ter  as  large  as  a  millstone,  the  mass  appeared  quite  solid 
and  black,  not  a  ray  of  light  passing  through  the  inter 
woven  sticks. 

"  The  nest  of  a  lammergeyer ! "  exclaimed  the  izzard- 
hunter,  the  moment  his  eye  glanced  up  to  it.  "  Just  so  ! 
—  my  dogs  are  right :  the  bear  has  taken  shelter  in  the 
nest  of  the  birds  !  " 


THE    LAMMERGEYERS.  147 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

THE    LAMMERGEYERS. 

THIS  was  evident  to  all.  Bruin  had  climbed  the  tree, 
and  was  now  snugly  ensconced  in  the  great  nest  of  the 
vulture-eagles,  though  not  a  hair  of  his  shaggy  hide  could 
be  visible  from  below. 

The  hunters  had  no  doubt  about  his  being  there.  The 
chasseur  was  too  confident  in  the  instinct  of  his  well- 
trained  dogs  to  doubt  them  for  a  moment,  and  his  com 
panions  had  no  reason  to  question  a  fact  so  very  proba 
ble.  Had  there  been  any  doubt,  it  would  soon  have  been 
set  aside,  by  an  incident  that  occurred  the  moment  after 
their  arrival  under  the  tree.  As  they  stood  looking  up 
ward,  two  great  birds  wore  seen  upon  the  wing,  rapidly 
swooping  downward  from  on  high.  They  were  lammer- 
qeyers,  and  evidently  the  owners  of  the  invaded  nest. 
That  the  intruder  was  not  welcome  there,  became  ap 
parent  in  the  next  moment ;  for  both  the  birds  were  seen 
shooting  in  quick  curves  around  the  top  branches  of  the 
tree,  flapping  their  wings  over  the  nest,  and  screaming 
with  all  the  concentrated  rage  of  creatures  in  the  act  of 
being  plundered.  Whether  Bruin,  in  addition  to  his 
unwelcome  presence,  had  also  committed  burglary,  and 
robbed  the  eagles  of  their  eggs  or  young,  could  not  be 


148  BRUIN. 

told.  If  he  had  done  so,  he  could  not  have  received 
greater  objurgation  from  the  infuriated  birds,  that  con 
tinued  their  noisy  demonstrations,  until  a  shot  fired  from 
below  admonished  them  of  the  presence  of  that  biped 
enemy  far  more  dreaded  than  the  bear.  Then  did  they 
only  widen  the  circle  of  their  flight,  still  continuing  to 
swoop  down  over  the  nest  at  intervals,  and  uttering  their 
mingled  cries  of  rage  and  lamentation. 

The  shot  was  from  the  gun  of  the  izzard-hunter ;  but 
it  was  not  till  after  he  had  been  some  time  upon  the 
ground  that  he  had  fired  it.  All  four  had  previously 
dismounted  and  fastened  their  animals  to  the  surround 
ing  trees.  They  knew  that  the  bear  was  in  the  nest ;  but 
although  his  retreat  was  now  cut  off,  it  was  still  not  so 
certain  that  they  should  succeed  in  making  a  capture. 
Had  the  bear  taken  refuge  in  a  fork,  or  even  among 
thick  branches,  where  their  bullets  might  have  reached 
him,  it  would  have  been  a  very  different  thing.  They 
might  then  have  brought  him  down  at  their  pleasure, 
for  if  killed,  or  severely  wounded,  he  must  have  fallen 
to  the  ground ;  but  now  —  ah,  now !  what  was  to  be 
done  ?  The  broad  platform  of  the  nest  not  only  gave 
him  a  surface  on  which  he  could  recline  at  his  ease,  but 
its  thick  mass  formed  a  rampart  through  which  not  even 
a  bullet  would  be  likely  to  penetrate  to  his  body ! 

How  were  they  to  reach  him  with  their  bullets  ?  That 
was  the  next  question  that  came  under  consideration. 
The  odd  shot  had  been  fired  as  an  experiment.  It  was 
fired  in  the  hope  that  it  might  startle  the  bear,  and  cause 
him  to  shift  his  quarters  —  if  only  a  little  —  so  that  some 
part  of  his  body  might  be  exposed ;  and  while  the  izzard- 


THE   LAMMERGEYERS.  149 

hunter  was  discharging  his  piece,  the  others  had  stood 
watching  for  a  chance.  None  was  given  to  them,  how 
ever.  The  bullet  was  heard  striking  the  sticks,  and 
caused  the  dust  to  puff  out,  but  it  produced  no  further 
effect,  —  not  a  move  was  made  by  the  occupant  of  that 
elevated  eyrie. 

Two  or  three  more  shots  were  fired  with  like  effect ; 
and  the  fusil  of  Pouchskin  was  next  called  into  requisi 
tion,  and  brought  to  bear  upon  the  nest.  The  large  bul 
let  crashed  up  among  the  dry  sticks,  scattering  the  frag 
ments  on  all  sides,  and  raising  a  cloud  of  dust  that 
enveloped  the  whole  top  of  the  tree.  But  not  a  sign  came 
from  Bruin,  to  tell  that  it  had  disturbed  him  ;  not  even 
a  growl,  to  reward  Pouchskin  for  the  expenditure  of  his 
powder  and  lead.  It  was  evident  that  this  mode  of  pro 
ceeding  could  be  of  no  service ;  and  the  firing  was  at 
once  discontinued  —  in  order  that  they  might  take  into 
consideration  some  other  plan  of  attack. 

At  first  there  appeared  to  be  no  way  by  which  the 
bear  might  be  ousted  from  his  secure  quarters.  They 
might  fire  away  until  they  should  empty  both  their 
powder-horns  and  pouches,  and  all  to  no  purpose.  They 
might  just  as  well  fire  their  shots  into  the  air.  So  far 
as  their  bullets  were  concerned,  the  bear  might  bid  them 
defiance  —  a  cannon-shot  alone  could  have  gone  through 
his  strong  rampart  of  sticks. 

What  could  they  do  to  get  at  him  ?  To  climb  up  and 
assail  him  where  he  lay  was  not  to  be  thought  of —  even 
could  they  have  climbed  into  the  nest.  On  the  firm 
ground,  none  of  them  would  have  liked  to  risk  an  en 
counter  with  the  enemy,  much  less  upon  such  insecure 


1 50  BRUIN. 

footing  as  a  nest  of  rotten  sticks.  But  they  could  not 
have  got  into  the  nest,  however  bent  upon  such  a  thing. 
Its  wide  rim  extended  far  beyond  the  supporting  branch 
es  ;  and  only  a  monkey,  or  the  bear  himself,  could  have 
clambered  over  its  edge.  To  a  human  being,  ascent  to 
the  nest  would  have  been  not  only  difficult,  but  impossi 
ble  ;  and  no  doubt  the  instinct  of  the  eagles  guided  them 
to  this  while  they  were  constructing  it.  Not  for  a  mo 
ment,  then,  did  our  hunters  think  of  climbing  up  to  their 
eyrie. 

What,  then,  were  they  to  do  ?  The  only  thing  they 
could  think  of  was  to  cut  down  the  tree.  It  would  be  a 
great  undertaking :  for  the  trunk  was  several  feet  in 
diameter ;  and  as  they  had  only  one  axe,  and  that  not  a 
very  sharp  one,  it  would  be  a  work  of  time.  They 
might  be  days  in  felling  that  gigantic  pine  ;  and  even 
when  down,  the  bear  might  still  escape  from  them  —  for 
it  did  not  follow  that  the  fall  of  the  tree  would  result  in 
the  consummation  of  his  capture.  It  might  swing  over 
gradually  and  easily,  or,  striking  against  others,  let  the 
bear  down  without  doing  him  the  slightest  damage ;  and 
in  the  confusion  consequent  on  its  fall,  he  would  have  a 
good  chance  of  getting  off. 

These  considerations  caused  them  to  hesitate  about 
cutting  down  the  tree,  and  reflect  whether  there  might 
not  be  some  easier  and  more  effective  method  for  secur 
ing  the  skin  of  the  bear. 


FIRING    THE    EYRIE.  151 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

FIRING   THE    EYRIE. 

AFTER  beating  their  brains,  for  some  time  to  no  pur 
pose,  an  exclamation  from  the  izzard-hunter  at  length 
announced  that  some  happy  idea  had  occurred  to  him. 
All  eyes  were  at  once  turned  towards  him ;  while  the 
voice  of  Ivan  was  quickly  heard,  interrogating  him  as  to 
the  object  of  his  exclamation. 

"  I  've  got  a  plan,  young  monsieur  ! "  replied  the  hun 
ter,  "  by  which  I  '11  either  force  the  bear  to  come  down, 
or  roast  him  up  yonder  where  he  lies.  ParUeu  !  I  Ve 
got  an  excellent  idea ! " 

"  What  is  it  ?  what  is  it  ?  "  eagerly  inquired  Ivan ; 
though  from  what  the  izzard-hunter  had  said,  he  already 
half  comprehended  the  design. 

"  Patience,  young  monsieur !  in  a  minute  you  shall 
see!" 

All  three  now  gathered  around  the  chasseur,  and 
watched  his  movements. 

They  saw  him  pour  a  quantity  of  gunpowder  into  the 
palm  of  his  hand ;  and  then  tear  a  strip  of  cotton  rag 
from  a  large  piece  which  he  had  drawn  out  of  his  pouch. 
This  he  saturated  with  saliva  and  then  coated  it  over 
with  the  powder.  He  next  proceeded  to  rub  both  rag 


152  BRUIN. 

and  powder  together  —  until,  after  a  considerable  friction 
between  the  palms  of  his  hands,  the  cotton  became  once 
more  dry,  and  was  now  thoroughly  saturated  with  the 
powder,  and  quite  blackened  with  it. 

The  next  proceeding  on  the  part  of  the  chasseur  was 
to  procure  a  small  quantity  of  dead  moss,  which  was 
easily  obtained  from  the  trunks  of  the  surrounding  trees ; 
and  this,  mixed  with  a  handful  or  two  of  dry  grass  he 
rolled  up  into  a  sort  of  irregular  clew. 

The  man  now  felt  in  his  pouch ;  and,  after  a  little 
fumbling  there,  brought  forth  a  small  box  that  was  seen 
to  contain  lucifer-matches.  Seemingly  satisfied  with  their 
inspection,  he  returned  the  box  to  its  place,  and  then 
made  known  the  object  for  which  all  these  preliminary 
manoeuvres  had  been  practised.  Our  young  hunters  had 
already  more  than  half  divined  it,  and  it  only  confirmed 
their  anticipations  when  the  hunter  declared  his  intention 
to  climb  the  tree  and  set  fire  to  the  nest. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  one  and  all  of  them  approved 
of  the  scheme,  while  they  admired  its  originality  and  cun 
ning.  Its  boldness,  too,  did  not  escape  their  admiration, 
for  it  was  clearly  a  feat  of  daring  and  danger.  The  bot 
tom  of  the  nest  might  be  reached  easily  enough ;  for 
though  a  tall  tree,  it  was  by  no  means  a  difficult  one  to 
climb.  There  were  branches  all  along  its  trunk  from 
bottom  to  top  ;  and  to  a  Pyrenean  hunter,  who,  when  a 
boy,  as  he  told  them,  had  played  pigeon  vidette  in  one  of 
the  "  crows'-nests  "  they  had  seen,  the  climbing  of  such  a 
tree  was  nothing.  It  was  not  in  this  that  the  danger  lay, 
but  in  something  very  different.  It  was  in  the  contin 
gency,  that,  while  up  in  the  branches,  and  before  he 


FIRING    THE    EYRIE.  153 

could  effect  his  purpose,  the  bear  might  take  a  fancy  to 
come  down.  Should  he  do  so,  then,  indeed,  would  the 
life  of  the  venturesome  hunter  be  in  deadly  peril. 

He  made  light  of  the  matter,  however,  and,  warning 
the  others  to  get  their  guns  ready  and  stand  upon  their 
guard,  he  sprang  forward  to  the  trunk,  and  commenced 
"  swarming  "  upward. 

Almost  as  rapidly  as  a  bear  itself  could  have  ascended, 
the  izzard-hunter  glided  up  the  tree,  swinging  himself 
from  branch  to  branch,  and  resting  his  naked  feet  —  for 
he  had  thrown  off  his  shoes  —  on  knots  and  other  ine 
qualities,  where  no  branch  offered.  In  this  way  he  at 
length  got  so  close  to  the  nest,  that  he  could  without  dif 
ficulty  thrust  his  hand  into  the  bottom  of  it. 

He  was  now  seen  drawing  forth  a  number  of  the  dry 
sticks,  and  forming  a  cavity  near  the  lower  part  of  the 
huge  mass.  He  operated  with  great  silence  and  circum 
spection  —  taking  all  the  care  he  could  not  to  make  his 
presence  known  to  the  bear,  nor  in  any  way  disturb 
whatever  dreams  or  reflections  Bruin  might  then  be  in 
dulging  in. 

In  a  short  time  he  had  hollowed  out  a  little  chamber 
among  the  sticks  — just  large  enough  for  his  purpose,  — 
and,  taking  the  ball  of  dry  grass  out  of  his  pouch,  he 
loosened  it  a  little,  and  then  placed  it  within  the  cavity. 

It  was  but  the  work  of  another  minute  to  light  a  luci- 
fer-match,  and  set  fire  to  the  long  strips  of  tinder  rag 
that  hung  downwards  from  the  grass. 

This  done,  the  izzard-hunter  swung  himself  to  the  next 
branch  below ;  and,  even  faster  than  he  had  gone  up,  he 
came  scrambling  down  the  trunk. 
7* 


154  BRUIN. 

Just  as  he  reached  the  ground,  the  grass  was  seen 
catching ;  and  amidst  the  blue  smoke  that  was  oozing 
thickly  out  of  the  little  chamber,  and  slowly  curling  up 
around  the  edges  of  the  nest,  a  red  blaze  could  be  distin 
guished  —  accompanied  with  that  crackling  noise  that 
announces  the  kindling  of  a  fire. 

The  four  hunters  stood  ready,  watching  the  progress 
of  the  little  flame  —  at  the  same  time  directing  their 
glances  around  the  rim  of  the  nest. 

They  had  not  long  to  wait  for  the  denouement.  The 
smoke  had  already  caught  the  attention  of  the  bear ;  and 
the  snapping  of  the  dry  faggots,  as  they  came  in  contact 
with  the  blazing  grass,  had  awakened  him  to  a  sense  of 
his  dangerous  situation. 

Long  before  the  blaze  had  mounted  near  him,  he  has 
seen  craning  his  neck  over  the  edge  of  the  nest ;  first  on 
one  side,  then  on  another,  and  evidently  not  liking  what 
he  saw.  Once  or  twice  he  came  very  near  having  a 
bullet  sent  at  his  head ;  but  his  restlessness  hindered 
them  from  getting  a  good  aim,  and  for  the  time  he  was 
left  alone. 

Not  for  long,  however :  for  he  did  not  much  longer 
remain  upon  his  elevated  perch.  Whether  it  was  the 
smoke  that  he  was  unable  longer  to  endure,  or  whether 
he  knew  that  the  conflagration  was  at  hand,  does  not 
clearly  appear ;  but  from  his  movements  it  was  evident 
the  nest  was  getting  too  hot  to  hold  him. 

And  no  doubt  it  was  too  hot  at  thai  crisis.  Had  he 
remained  in  it  but  two  minutes  longer,  an  event  would 
have  occurred  that  would  have  ruined  everything.  The 
bear  would  either  have  been  roasted  to  a  cinder ;  or,  at 


FIRING   THE    EYEIE.  155 

all  events,  his  skin  would  have  been  singed,  and,  of 
course,  completely  spoilt  for  the  purpose  for  which  it 
was  required! 

Up  to  this  moment  that  thought  had  never  occurred  to 
the  young  hunters  ;  and  now  that  it  did  occur,  they  stood 
watching  the  movements  of  the  bear  with  feelings  of  keen 
apprehension.  A  shout  of  joy  was  heard  both  from 
Alexis  and  Ivan  as  the  great  quadruped  was  seen  spring 
ing  out  from  the  smoke,  and  clutching  to  a  thick  branch 
that  traversed  upward  near  the  nest.  Embracing  the 
branch  with  his  paws,  he  commenced  descending  stern 
foremost  along  the  limb ;  but  a  more  rapid  descent  was 
in  store  for  him.  Out  of  the  four  bullets  fired  into  his 
body,  one  at  least  must  have  reached  a  mortal  part ;  for 
his  fore  arms  were  seen  to  relax  their  hold,  his  limbs 
slipped  from  the,  bark,  and  his  huge  body  came  "  bump  " 
to  the  ground,  where  it  lay  motionless  as  a  log  and  just 
as  lifeless. 

Meanwhile  the  flames  enveloped  the  nest,  and  in  five 
minutes  more  the  whole  mass  was  on  fire,  blazing  upward 
like  a  beacon.  The  dry  sticks  snapped  and  crackled  — 
the  pitchy  branches  of  the  pine  hissed  and  spirted  —  the 
red  cinders  shot  out  like  stars,  and  came  showering  down 
to  the  earth  —  while  high  overhead  could  be  heard  the 
vengeful  cries  of  the  vultures,  as  they  saw  the  destruction 
of  their  aerial  habitation. 

But  the  hunters  took  no  heed  of  all  this.  Their  task 
was  accomplished,  or  nearly  so.  It  only  remained  to 
divest  Bruin  of  his  much-coveted  skin ;  and,  having  done 
this  in  a  skilful  and  proper  manner,  they  mounted  their 


156  BRUIN. 

roadsters,  and   once  more  took   their  route  across  the 
mountains. 

On  reaching  the  first  village  on  the  Spanish  side,  they 
parted  with  the  expert  izzard-hunter  and  his  hired 
charge  —  having  well  remunerated  him  for  his  threefold 
service,  each  branch  of  which  he  had  performed  to  their 
entire  satisfaction. 


SOUTH  AMERICAN  BEARS.  157 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

SOUTH   AMERICAN   BEARS. 

OUR  travellers  passed  southward  to  Madrid,  where 
they  only  remained  long  enough  to  witness  that  exciting 
but  not  very  gentle  spectacle,  a  bull-fight.  Thence  pro 
ceeding  to  Lisbon,  they  took  passage  direct  for  Para,  or 
"  Gran  Para,"  as  it  is  called  —  a  thriving  Brazilian  set 
tlement  at  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon  river,  and  destined 
at  no  very  distant  day  to  become  a  great  city. 

The  design  of  our  hunters  was  to  ascend  the  Amazon, 
and  reach,  by  one  of  its  numerous  head-waters,  the  east 
ern  slope  of  the  Andes  mountains  —  which  they  knew  to 
be  the  habitat  of  the  "  spectacled  bear." 

On  arriving  at  Para,  they  were  not  only  surprised,  but 
delighted,  to  find  that  the  Amazon  river  was  actually 
navigated  by  steamboats  ;  and  that,  instead  of  having  to 
spend  six  months  in  ascending  to  the  upper  part  of  this 
mighty  river  —  as  in  the  olden  time  —  they  could  now 
accomplish  the  journey  in  less  than  a  score  of  days ! 
These  steamers  are  the  property  of  the  Brazilian  Gov 
ernment,  that  owns  the  greater  part  of  the  Amazon 
valley,  and  that  has  shown  considerable  enterprise  in 
developing  its  resources  —  much  more  than  any  of  the 
Spano- American  States,  which  possess  the  regions  lying 


158  BRUIN. 

upon  the  upper  tributaries  of  the  Amazon.  It  is  but  fair 
to  state,  however,  that  the  Peruvians  have  also  made  an 
attempt  to  introduce  steam  upon  the  Amazon  river;  and 
that  they  have  been  unsuccessful,  from  causes  over  which 
they  could  scarce  be  expected  to  have  control.  The 
chief  of  these  causes  appears  to  have  been  the  dishonesty 
of  certain  American  contractors,  who  provided  them  with 
the  steamers  —  three  of  them  —  which,  on  being  taken  to 
the  head  of  steam  navigation  on  the  Amazon,  were  found 
to  be  utterly  worthless,  and  had  to  be  laid  up  !  This  bit 
of  jobbery  is  to  be  regretted  the  more,  since  its  bad 
effects  do  not  alone  concern  the  people  of  Peru,  but  the 
whole  civilized  world  :  for  there  is  not  a  country  on  the 
globe  that  would  not  receive  benefit  by  a  development  of 
the  resources  of  this  mighty  river. 

Our  young  Russians  had  been  under  the  belief,  as 
most  people  are,  that  the  banks  of  the  Amazon  were 
entirely  without  civilized  settlements  —  that  the  great 
river  had  scarcely  been  explored  —  that  only  a  few  trav 
ellers  had  descended  this  mighty  stream ;  and  that 
altogether  it  was  still  as  much  of  a  terra  incognita  as  in 
the  days  of  Orellana.  They  found  that  these  notions 
were  quite  incorrect ;  that  not  only  is  there  the  large 
town  of  Para  near  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon,  but  there 
are  other  considerable  settlements  upon  its  banks,  at 
different  distances  from  each  other,  all  the  way  up  to 
Peru.  Even  upon  some  of  its  tributaries  —  as  the  Rio 
Negro  and  Madeira  —  there  are  villages  and  plantations 
of  some  importance.  Barra,  on  the  former  stream,  is  of 
itself  a  town  of  2,000  inhabitants. 

In  that  part  of  the  Amazonian   territory  which   lies 


SOUTH   AMERICAN   BEARS.  159 

within  the  boundaries  of  Brazil,  the  settlements  are,  of 
course,  Brazilian  —  the  settlers  being  a  mixture  of  Port 
uguese  negroes  and  Christianized  Indians.  The  portion 
of  the  great  valley  higher  up  towards  the  Cordilleras  of 
the  Andes,  belongs  to  the  Spanish-American  govern 
ments  —  chiefly  to  Peru.  There  are  also  settlements  of 
a  missionary  character,  the  population  of  which  consists 
almost  entirely  of  Indians,  who  have  submitted  them 
selves  to  the  rule  of  the  Spanish  priests.  Years  ago 
many  of  these  missionary  settlements  were  in  a  flourish 
ing  condition ;  but  at  present  they  are  in  a  complete 
state  of  decay. 

Our  young  Russians  found,  then,  that  the  great  South 
American  river  was  by  no  means  unknown  or  unex 
plored  —  though  as  yet  no  great  observer  has  given  an 
account  of  it.  The  different  travellers  who  have  de 
scended  the  Amazon,  and  written  books  about  it,  have 
all  been  men  of  slight  capacity,  and  lacking  powers  of 
scientific  observation ;  and  one  cannot  help  feeling  regret 
that  Humboldt  did  not  choose  the  Amazon,  instead  of  the 
Orinoco,  as  the  medium  of  his  valuable  researches  into 
the  cosmography  of  South  America.  Such  a  grand 
subject  was  worthy  of  such  a  man. 

In  ascending  the  Amazon  —  which  our  party  did  by 
the  Brazilian  steamer — they  were  fortunate  in  finding 
on  board  a  very  intelligent  travelling  companion  ;  who 
gave  them  much  information  of  the  great  valley  and  its 
resources.  This  man  was  an  old  Portuguese  trader,  who 
had  spent  nearly  a  lifetime  in  navigating  not  only  the 
Amazon  itself,  but  many  of  its  larger  tributaries.  His 
business  was  to  collect  from  the  different  Indian  tribes 


160  BRUIN. 

the  indigenous  products  of  the  forests  —  or  montana,  as 
it  is  called  —  which  stretches  almost  without  interruption 
from  the  Andes  to  t  e  Atlantic.  In  this  vast  tropical 
forest  there  are  many  productions  that  have  found  their 
way  into  the  channels  of  commerce ;  and  many  others 
yet  unknown  or  unregarded.  The  principal  articles  ob 
tained  by  the  traders  are  sarsaparilla,  Peruvian  bark, 
annatto,  and  other  dyes,  vanilla,  Brazil-nuts,  Tonka 
beans,  hammocks,  palm  fibre,  and  several  other  kinds  of 
spontaneous  vegetable  productions.  Monkeys,  toucans, 
macaws,  parrots,  and  other  beautiful  birds,  also  enter  into 
the  list  of  Amazonian  exports ;  while  the  imports  consist 
of  such  manufactured  articles  as  may  tempt  the  cupidity 
of  the  savage,  or  the  weapons  necessary  to  him  either 
in  war  or  for  the  chase. 

In  this  trade  their  travelling  companion  had  spent 
thirty  years  of  his  life  ;  and  being  a  man  of  intelligence 
he  had  not  only  acquired  a  considerable  fortune,  but 
laid  in  a  stock  of  geographical  knowledge,  of  which  the 
young  Russians  were  not  slow  to  take  advantage.  In 
the  natural  history  of  the  montana  he  was  well  versed ; 
and  knew  the  different  animals  and  their  habits  from 
actual  observation  —  for  which  thirty  years  of  adventure 
had  given  him  a  splendid  opportunity.  It  was  a  rich 
store,  and  our  travellers,  especially  the  naturalist  Alexis, 
did  not  fail  to  draw  largely  from  it. 

From  the  information  given  by  this  intelligent  trader, 
Alexis  was  enabled  to  determine  several  facts  about  the 
bears  of  South  America  that  had  hitherto  been  doubtful. 
He  learnt  that  there  are  at  least  two  very  distinct  varie 
ties  of  them  —  one.  the  "  spectacled  bear  "  (ursus  ornatus) 


SOUTH  AMERICAN  BEARS.  161 

—  so  called,  on  account  of  the  whitish  rings  around  his 
eyes,  suggesting  the  idea  of  spectacles ;  and  another  with 
out  these  white  eye  markings,  and  which  has  been  lately 
named  by  a  distinguished  German  naturalist  ursus  fru- 


The  former  kind  is  known  throughout  the  Peruvian 
countries  as  the  "  Hucumari,"  and  although  it  inhabits 
the  Cordilleras,  it  does  not  ascend  to  the  very  cold  eleva 
tions  known  as  the  "paramos"  and  "puna."  On  the 
contrary,  it  affects  a  warmer  climate,  and  is  not  unfre- 
quently  found  straying  into  the  cultivated  valleys  termed 
generally  the  "  Sierra."  The  ursus  frugilegus  chiefly 
frequents  the  tangled  woods  that  cover  the  eastern  spurs 
of  the  Andes,  ranging  often  as  far  down  as  the  montana, 
and  never  so  high  as  the  declivities  that  border  on  the 
region  of  snow. 

Both  of  these  species  are  black  bears,  and  termed  "  oso 
negro  v  by  the  Spanish- Americans  ;  but  the  Hucumari  is 
distinguished  by  a  white  list  under  the  throat,  a  white 
breast,  a  muzzle  of  a  grayish  buff  color,  and  the  crescent- 
like  eye  markings  already  mentioned.  It  is  also  of  a 
gentler  disposition  than  its  congener,  smaller  in  size,  and 
never  preys  upon  other  animals.  The  other  does  so  — 
frequently  making  havoc  among  the  flocks  of  sheep,  and 
even  attacking  the  cattle  and  horses  of  the  haciendas. 
The  ursus  frugilegus  will  give  battle  even  to  man  himself 
—  when  baited,  or  rendered  furious  by  being  chased. 

Both  these  species  are  supposed  to  be  confined  to  the 
Chilian  and  Peruvian  Andes.  This  is  an  erroneous  sup 
position.  They  are  equally  common  in  Bolivia,  and  in 
the  sierras  of  New  Grenada  and  Venezuela.  They  are 

K 


162  BRUIN. 

found  on  both  sides  of  Lake  Maracaibo  —  in  the  sierras 
Perija  and  Mcrida.  One  of  them,  at  least,  has  also  been 
observed  in  the  mountains  of  Guiana  —  though  naturalists 
have  not  met  with  it  there.  Humboldt,  it  is  true,  saw  ihe 
tracks  of  what  the  natives  told  him  was  a  bear  on  the 
Upper  Orinoco  ;  and,  reasoning  from  their  size,  he  drew 
the  inference  that  it  must  have  been  a  much  smaller 
species  than  the  ursus  americanus  ;  but  in  this  matter 
the  great  philosopher  was  led  into  an  error  by  a  misap 
plied  name.  He  was  informed  that  the  animal  was  the 
"  oso  carnero,"  or  flesh-eating  bear  —  a  title  given  by  the 
Mission  Indians  to  distinguish  it  from  two  other  animals, 
which  they  also  erroneously  term  bears  —  the  "  oso  pal- 
mero,"  or  great  ant-eater  (tamanoir),  and  the  "  oso  hor- 
miguero "  (tamandua).  The  animal  by  whose  tracks 
Humboldt  was  misled,  was,  no  doubt,  one  of  the  smaller 
plantigrade  animals  (coatis  or  grisons),  of  which  there 
are  several  species  in  the  forests  of  South  America. 

Our  hunters  learnt  enough  from  their  travelling  ac 
quaintance  to  convince  them  that,  in  whatever  latitude 
they  might  approach  the  Andes  from  the  east,  they  would 
be  certain  to  find  both  varieties  of  the  South  American 
black  bear  ;  but  that  the  best  route  they  could  take  would 
be  up  the  great  Napo  river,  which  rises  not  very  far  from 
the  old  Peruvian  capital  of  Quito.  In  the  wild  provinces 
of  Quixos  and  Macas,  lying  to  the  east  of  Quito  —  and 
to  which  the  Napo  river  would  conduct  them  —  they 
would  be  certain  to  meet  with  the  animals  they  were  in 
search  of. 

They  would  have  been  equally  sure  of  meeting  bears  in 
the  territory  of  Jean  de  Bracamoros  ;  and  this  would  have 


SOUTH  AMERICAN  BEARS.  163 

been  more  easily  reached ;  but  Alexis  knew  that  by 
taking  that  route  across  the  Cordilleras,  they  would  be 
thrown  too  far  to  the  west  for  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  — • 
which  it  was  necessary  they  should  cross  on  their  way 
to  the  northern  division  of  the  American  continent. 

By  keeping  up  the  Napo  to  its  source,  and  then  cross 
ing  the  Cordilleras  of  New  Granada,  they  would  still  be 
enabled  to  make  westerly  as  far  as  Panama  —  to  which 
port  they  could  get  passage  in  one  of  the  Grenadian 
coasting-vessels. 

On  arriving  at  the  mouth  of  the  Napo,  therefore,  they 
engaged  &periagua,  with  its  Indian  crew,  and  continued 
their  journey  up  this  stream  towards  the  still  distant 
Cordilleras  of  Quito. 


164  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

THE    AMAZONIAN   FOREST. 

THE  river  Napo  is  one  of  the  largest  of  the  head 
waters  of  the  Amazon,  and  one  of  the  most  interesting 
—  since,  by  it,  most  of  the  early  expeditionists  descended 
in  search  of  the  country  of  the  gilded  kings,  and  the  gold- 
roofed  temples  of  Manoa.  Though  these  proved  to  be 
fabulous,  yet  the  existence  of  gold-dust  among  the  In 
dians  of  the  Napo  was  true  enough,  and  is  true  to  the 
present  hour.  On  this  river,  and  its  numerous  branches, 
gold-washings,  or  placers,  are  quite  common  ;  and  occa 
sionally  the  savages,  who  roam  over  this  region,  collect 
the  dust,  and  exchange  it  with  the  traders  who  venture 
among  them.  The  Indians,  however,  are.  of  too  idle  a 
habit  to  follow  this  industry  with  any  degree  of  energy ; 
and  whenever  they  have  obtained  a  quill  full  of  the  me 
tallic  sand  —  just  enough  to  purchase  them  some  coveted 
nick-nack  of  civilized  manufacture  —  they  leave  off 
work,  and  the  precious  ingots  are  permitted  to  sleep 
undiscovered  in  their  beds. 

Notwithstanding  the  length  of  their  journey  up  the 
Napo,  our  travellers  did  not  deem  it  tedious.  The  lovely 
tropical  scenery  ever  under  their  eyes,  together  with  the 
numerous  little  incidents  which  were  constantly  occurring, 


THE   AMAZONIAN   FOREST.  165 

relieved  the  monotony  of  their  daily  life,  and  kept  them 
in  a  constant  state  of  interested  excitement.  At  every 
bend  of  the  river  appeared  some  object,  new,  and  worthy 
of  admiration  —  some  grand  tropical  plant  or  tree,  some 
strange  quadruped,  or  some  bird  of  glorious  plumage. 

The  craft  in  which  they  travelled  was  that  in  general 
use  on  the  upper  tributaries  of  the  Amazon :  a  large 
canoe  —  hollowed  out  from  the  gigantic  bombax  ceiba, 
or  silk-cotton  tree  —  and  usually  known  as  a  periagua. 
Over  the  stern  part,  or  quarter-deck,  a  little  "  round 
house  "  is  erected,  resembling  the  tilt  of  a  wagon ;  but, 
instead  of  ash-hoops  and  canvas,  it  is  constructed  of  bam 
boos  and  leaves  of  trees.  The  leaves  form  a  thatch  to 
shade  the  sun  from  the  little  cabin  inside,  and  they  are 
generally  the  large  leaves  of  the  vihai,  a  species  of  heli- 
conia,  which  grows  abundantly  in  the  tropical  forests  of 
South  America.  Leaves  of  the  musacace  (plantains 
and  bananas)  serve  for  a  similar  purpose ;  and  both 
kinds  are  equally  employed  in  thatching  the  huts  in 
which  the  natives  dwell. 

The  little  cabin  thus  constructed  is  called  a  toldo.  In 
side  it  is  high  enough  for  a  man  to  sit  upright,  though  not 
to  stand  ;  and  generally  it  is  only  used  for  sleeping  in,  or 
as  a  shelter  during  rain.  At  other  times  the  traveller 
prefers  the  open  air ;  and  sits  or  reclines  upon  the  roof 
of  the  toldo,  which  is  constructed  of  sufficient  strength  to 
bear  his  weight.  The  forward  part  of  the  periagua  is 
left  quite  open ;  and  here  the  rowers  take  their  stations, 
so  that  their  movements  do  not  interfere  with  the  comfort 
of  the  travellers. 

Through  the  influence  of  the  Portuguese  trader,  our 


166  BKUIX. 

party  bad  the  good  fortune  to  obtain  a  proper  periagua 
and  crew.  They  were  Christianized  Indians,  belonging 
to  one  of  the  Spanish  missions  situated  far  up  the  Napo. 
They  had  descended  this  river  with  a  cargo  of  the  pro 
ducts  of  the  mission  ;  and  were  just  about  starting  to  go 
back,  as  our  travellers  arrived  at  the  river's  mouth.  An 
agreement  was  easily  entered  into  with  the  capataz,  or 
chief  of  the  periagua ;  and  as  our  travellers  always  paid 
liberally  for  such  service,  and  kept  the  crew  well  fed, 
they  received  as  good  attendance  and  accommodation  as 
circumstances  would  admit  of.  Here  and  there  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  —  though  at  very  long  intervals  apart 
—  were  settlements  of  the  wild  Indians  of  the  forest ; 
and  as  nearly  all  the  tribes  of  Amazonia  do  less  or  more 
in  the  way  of  cultivation  and  commerce,  our  travellers 
were  enabled  from  time  to  time  to  replenish  their  larder. 
Their  guns,  too,  helped  materially  to  keep  up  the  supply : 
since  almost  every  day  game  of  one  kind  or  another  was 
procured  along  the  banks.  For  bread  they  had  farinlia^ 
a  good  stock  of  which  they  had  brought  with  them  on 
the  steamer  from  Para.  This  is  the  grated  root  of  the 
manioc  plant  (iatropha  manihot),  and  forms  the  staple 
food  of  all  classes  throughout  the  countries  of  Ama 
zonia. 

Alexis  was  particularly  interested  in  what  they  saw. 
Never  had  naturalist  a  finer  field  for  observation.  Here 
was  nature  presented  to  the  eye  in  its  most  normal  con 
dition.  Here  could  be  observed  the  tropical  forest  in  all 
its  primeval  virginity,  unbroken  by  the  axe  of  the  lum 
berer,  and  in  many  places  untrodden  even  by  the  foot  of 
the  hunter.  Here  its  denizens  —  quadrupeds,  quadru- 


THE    AMAZONIAN   FOREST.  167 

mana,  birds,  reptiles,  and  insects  —  might  be  seen  follow 
ing  out  their  various  habits  of  life,  obedient  only  to  the 
passions  or  instincts  that  had  been  implanted  in  them  by 
Nature  herself,  but  little  modified  by  the  presence  of  man. 
Now  would  appear  a  flock  of  capivaras  —  or  chiguires, 
as  they  are  also  called  —  the  largest  of  rodent  animals, 
basking  upon  some  sunny  bank,  raising  their  great  rabbit- 
like  heads,  and  gazing  curiously  at  the  passing  periagua. 
Perhaps  before  the  travellers  had  lost  sight  of  them,  the 
whole  gang  would  be  seen  suddenly  starting  from  their 
attitudes  of  repose,  and  in  desperate  rush  making  for  the 
water.  Behind  them  would  appear  the  yellow-spotted 
body  of  the  jaguar  —  the  true  tyrant  of  the  Amazonian 
forest,  who,  with  a  single  blow  of  his  powerful  paw  would 
stretch  a  chiguire  upon  the  grass,  and  then,  couching  over 
his  fallen  victim,  would  tear  its  body  to  pieces,  drink  its 
warm  blood,  and  devour  its  flesh  at  his  leisure. 

If  by  good  fortune  the  flock  might  all  escape,  and 
reach  the  water,  the  jaguar,  conscious  of  their  superior 
adroitness  in  that  element,  would  at  once  abandon  the 
pursuit;  and  returning  to  his  ambush,  lie  waiting  for  a 
fresh  opportunity.  But  for  all  that,  the  poor  chiguires 
would  not  be  certain  of  safety;  for  even  in  the  water 
they  might  encounter  another  enemy,  equally  formidable 
and  cruel,  in  the  gigantic  jacare  —  the  crocodile  of  the 
Amazonian  waters.  Thus  assailed  in  either  element,  the 
poor  innocent  rodents  are  driven  from  land  to  water,  and 
from  the  water  back  again  to  the  land  ;  and  so  kept  in  a 
state  of  continual  fear  and  trembling.  The  puma,  too, 
assails  them,  and  the  jaguarundi,  and  the  fierce  coati- 
mundi;  and  not  unfrequently  the  enormous  anaconda 


168  BRUIN. 

infolds  them  in  its  deadly  embrace ;  for  the  innocuous 
creatures  can  make  no  defence  against  their  numerous 
enemies  ;  and  but  for  that  fecundity  which  characterizes 
the  family  to  which  they  belong  —  the  so-called  "  Guinea- 
pigs  "  —  their  race  would  be  in  danger  of  total  extir 
pation. 

The  chiguires  were  not  the  only  gregarious  animals 
observed  by  our  travellers  in  their  ascent  of  the  Napo. 
Others  of  a  very  different  order  appeared  in  the  peccaries, 
or  wild  pigs  of  the  montana.  These  are  true  pachyderms, 
and  in  reality  pigs ;  though  naturalists  have  seen  fit  to 
separate  them  from  the  genus  Sus,  and  constitute  for 
them  a  genus  of  their  own.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to 
say  that  this  is  a  very  useless  proceeding  —  since  the 
peccaries  are  neither  more  nor  less  than  true  wild  hogs, 
the  indigenous  representatives  of  the  suidce,  on  the 
American  continent.  Their  classification  into  a  separate 
genus  has  been  productive  of  no  good  purpose,  but  the 
very  contrary:  since  it  has  added  to  the  number  of 
zoological  names,  thereby  rendering  still  more  difficult 
the  study  of  that  interesting  science.  For  such  an  end 
less  vocabulary,  we  are  chiefly  indebted  to  the  specula 
tions  of  anatomic  naturalists,  who,  lacking  opportunities 
of  actual  observation,  endeavor  to  make  up  for  it  by 
guesses  and  conjectures,  founded  upon  some  little  tubercle 
upon  a  tooth !  Notwithstanding  their  learned  treatises 
it  often  proves  —  and  very  often  too  —  that  these 
tubercles  tell  most  abominable  stories  ;  in  plainer  terms, 
that  the  animals  "  lie  in  their  teeth." 

The  peccary  —  which  the  old  writers  were  content  to 
regard  as  a  wild  pig,  and  very  properly  placed  under  the 


THE    AMAZONIAN   FOREST.  169 

genus  sus  —  is  now  termed  dicotyles.  Two  species  only- 
are  yet  known  to  naturalists  —  the  "  white-lipped  "  and 
"  collared  "  (D.  labritus  and  collaris)  ;  and  although  they 
are  rarely  found  frequenting  the  same  district  of  country, 
either  one  or  the  other  kind  can  be  encountered  in  all 
the  wilder  parts  of  America  —  from  California  on  the 
north,  to  the  latitude  of  the  La  Plata  on  the  south. 
Both  are  nearly  of  one  form  and  color  —  a  sort  of 
speckled  grayish-brown;  the  collared  species  being  so 
named  from  a  whitish  list  running  up  in  front  of  its 
shoulders,  and  forming  the  semblance  of  a  collar ;  while 
the  white-lipped  derives  its  specific  title  from  having  lips 
of  a  grayish-white  color.  In  size,  however,  there  is  a 
great  difference  between  the  two:  the  white-lipped 
peccary  weighing  100  Ibs.,  or  nearly  twice  the  weight  of 
the  collared  species.  The  former,  too,  is  proportionably 
stouter  in  build,  and  altogether  a  stronger  and  fiercer 
animal ;  for  although  fierceness  is  not  a  characteristic  of 
their  nature,  like  other  animals  of  the  hog  family,  when 
roused,  they  exhibit  a  ferocity  and  fearlessness  equalling 
that  of  the  true  carnivora. 

Both  kinds  of  peccary  are  preyed  upon  by  the  jaguar ; 
but  this  tyrant  of  the  wilds  approaches  them  with  more 
caution  and  far  less  confidence,  than  when  he  makes  his 
onslaught  on  the  helpless  chiguires  ;  and  not  unfrequent- 
ly  in  conflicts  with  the  peccary,  the  jaguar  comes  off 
only  second  best. 

Of  this  fact  our  travellers  had  ample  proofs  —  hav 
ing  frequently  witnessed,  while  ascending  the  Napo,  en 
counters  between  the  peccaries  and  the  jaguars.  One 
of  these  encounters  they  had  watched  with  an  interest 
8 


170  BRUIN. 

more  than  common :  for  in  its  result  their  own  safety  was 
concerned ;  and  the  very  position  of  peril  in  which  they 
were  placed,  enabled  them  to  have  a  full  and  perfect 
view  of  the  whole  spectacle ;  an  account  of  which  we 
find  recorded  in  the  journal  of  Alexis. 


THE   PERUVIAN    CINNAMON-TREE.  171 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

THE   PERUVIAN    CINNAMON-TREE. 

THEY  had  reached  a  district  which  lies  between  two 
great  branches  of  the  Napo  river,  and  which  bears  the 
name  of  Canelos,  or  the  "cinnamon  country."  The  name 
was  given  to  it  by  the  Spanish  discoverers  of  Peru  — 
from  the  fact  of  their  finding  trees  in  this  region,  the  bark 
of  which  bears  a  considerable  resemblance  to  the  cele 
brated  spice  of  the  East  Indies.  Canela  is  the  Spanish 
name  for  cinnamon ;  and  the  rude  adventurers  Pineda 
and  Gonzalez  Pizarro,  fancying  it  was  the  real  cinnamon- 
tree  itself,  so  called  it ;  and  the  district  in  which  they 
found  it  most  abundant  thenceforward  took  the  name  of 
Canelos. 

The  tree,  afterwards  identified  and  described  by  the 
Spanish  botanist  Mutis,  is  not  the  Laurus  cinnamomum 
of  Ceylon  ;  but  a  species  of  lanrus  peculiar  to  the  Amer 
ican  continent  —  to  which  this  botanist  has  given  the 
name  laurus  cinnamomoides.  It  is  not,  however,  con 
fined  to  the  region  around  the  Rio  Napo,  but  grows  in 
many  parts  of  the  Great  Montana,  as  well  as  in  other 
countries  of  tropical  America.  Bonpland  identified  it  on 
the  Upper  Orinoco,  and  again  in  the  county  of  Caraccas ; 
though  nowhere  does  it  appear  to  be  in  such  plenty  as  to 


172  BRUIN. 

the  east  of  the  Cordilleras  of  Ecuador  and  Peru  — 
throughout  the  provinces  of  Quixos,  Macas,  and  Jaen  de 
Bracamoros.  In  these  provinces  it  is  found  forming 
extensive  woods,  and  filling  the  air  with  the  delicious 
aroma  of  its  flowers.  The  bark  of  the  laurus  cinnamo- 
moides  is  not  considered  equal  in  delicate  flavor  to  that 
of  the  Oriental  cinnamon.  It  is  hotter  and  more  pun 
gent  to  the  taste  —  otherwise  the  resemblance  between 
the  "two  trees  is  very  considerable,  their  foliage  being 
much  alike,  and  the  bark  peeling  off  of  nearly  equal 
thickness.  The  American,  however,  becomes  more 
brownish  when  dried  ;  and,  though  it  is  not  equal  to 
the  cinnamon-bark  of  Ceylon,  large  quantities  of  it  are 
collected,  both  for  use  in  the  Spanish-American  countries 
and  for  export  to  Europe  —  where  it  is  often  passed  off 
for  the  true  cinnamon.  Were  it  not  that  the  province  of 
Canelos  is  rather  inaccessible  to  commerce,  no  doubt  a 
great  deal  more  of  it  would  find  its  way  into  the  Euro 
pean  markets ;  but  there  are  perils  and  hardships  in  the 
collecting  of  this  bark,  which  make  it  unprofitable  to  deal 
in,  even  at  the  full  price  of  the  true  cinnamon.  The 
Peruvians  believe  that,  were  the  tree  cultivated  in  a 
proper  manner,  as  the  Oriental  cinnamon  is,  its  bark 
would  prove  equal  in  quality  to  the  latter ;  and  perhaps 
this  may  be  true,  since  occasionally  specimens  of  it  have 
been  procured,  having  all  the  rich  aroma  of  the  spice  of 
Ceylon.  These  have  been  taken  from  trees  that  grew  in 
favorable  situations  —  that  is,  standing  alone,  and  where 
the  sun  had  free  access  to  the  leaves  and  flowers.  The 
leaves  themselves  have  the  peculiar  cinnamon  flavor,  and 
the  flowers  also ;  but  in  a  much  stronger  degree.  Indeed, 


THE    PERUVIAN    CINNAMON-TREE.  173 

the  flowers  are  even  more  aromatic  than  those  of  the 
laurus  cinnamomum. 

It  is  said  that  the  wild  pigs  (peccaries)  are  very  fond 
of  these  flowers,  as  Avell  as  the  seeds,  when  ripe  ;  and  a 
singular  habit  of  these  animals  is  related  by  some  of  the 
early  Peruvian  travellers  —  the  Jesuit  Ovalle  for  one. 
The  old  father  states  that  when  a  flock  of  the  peccaries 
go  in  search  of  the  flowers  of  the  canela-tree,  they  sepa 
rate  into  two  divisions,  of  about  »nearly  equal  numbers. 
The  individuals  of  one  division  place  their  shoulders  to 
the  different  trees  ;  and,  by  shaking  them  violently,  cause 
the  flowers  to  fall  down  to  the  earth.  While  thus  em 
ployed,  the  peccaries  of  the  other  party  stand  under  the 
shower,  and  eat  undisturbedly  until  they  have  quite  filled 
their  bellies,  or  otherwise  satisfied  themselves.  These 
last  then  take  the  place  of  the  hungry  hogs ;  and  recip 
rocating  the  service  by  shaking  the  trees,  leave  the  for 
mer  to  enjoy  themselves  in  their  turn  ! 

It  is  not  easy  to  swallow  this  story  of  the  Jesuit,  though 
he  was  himself  a  native  of  the  country  where  the  scene 
is  laid.  That  part  of  it  which  relates  to  the  hogs  shak 
ing  the  trees  for  one  another,  is  not  likely  to  be  true, 
though  it  is  possible  all  the  other  particulars  are  correct. 

It  may  be  true  enough  that  the  animals  shake  the  trees 
to  bring  down  the  flowers:  for  this  would  exhibit  a 
sagacity  not  greater  than  hogs  of  other  species  are  capa 
ble  of;  but  it  is  not  according  to  the  laws  of  their  moral 
nature  to  perform  the  service  for  one  another.  That 
they  roam  in  great  flocks  through  the  canela  forests,  and 
devour  with  avidity  the  blossoms  of  these  trees,  is  un 
doubtedly  a  fact  —  of  which  our  travellers  had  the  evi- 


174  BRUIN. 

dence  of  their  own  eyes  while  on  their  journey  up  the 
river  Napo. 

They  were  passing  a  place  where  these  wild  cinnamon- 
trees  lined  the  banks  of  the  stream;  and,  in  order  to 
make  a  closer  examination  of  such  an  interesting  species, 
Alexis  landed  from  the  periagua.  Ivan  went  along  with 
him  —  taking  his  double-barrelled  gun,  in  hopes  of  get 
ting  a  shot  at  something.  In  one  barrel  he  had  a  bullet, 
while  the  other  was  loaded  with  shot  —  so  that  he  was 
prepared  for  any  sort  of  game  that  might  turn  up,  either 
beasts  or  birds.  Alexis,  as  usual,  carried  his  rifle. 

It  was  their  intention  to  walk  for  some  distance  up  the 
bank.  There  was  a  sandy  strip  between  the  water  and 
the  trees  —  which  would  enable  them  to  make  way  with 
out  difficulty  —  and  it  is  only  where  this  occurs  that  the 
banks  of  the  Amazonian  rivers  can  be  followed  on  foot. 
Generally,  the  thick  forest  comes  down  to  the  very  wa 
ter's  edge ;  and  there  is  no  pathway  except  an  occasional 
track  followed  by  the  chiguires,  tapirs,  and  other  ani 
mals  ;  but,  as  these  creatures  only  open  the  underwood 
to  the  height  of  their  own  bodies,  all  above  that  is  a  mat 
ted  labyrinth  of  leaves  and  llanos,  that  form  an  impene 
trable  barrier  to  the  passage  of  anything  so  tall  as  a  man. 
The  Indians  themselves  rarely  follow  these  paths,  but 
keep  to  their  canoes  or  periaguas. 

Seeing  this  fine  open  sand-bar,  which  appeared  to 
stretch  for  miles  above  them,  our  young  travellers,  tired 
of  sitting  upon  the  toldo,  determined  to  stretch  their  legs 
in  a  walk;  and,  directing  the  capataz  to  keep  up  the 
river  and  take  them  in  above,  they  set  out  along  the 
bank  —  now  and  then  dipping  into  the  woods,  wherever 


THE   PERUVIAN    CINNAMON-TREE.  175 

an  opening  showed  itself,  and  examining  such  rare  natu 
ral  objects  as  attracted  their  attention. 

Pouchskin  did  not  go  with  them ;  and  the  reason  was 
that,  some  days  before,  Pouchskin  had  encountered  a 
mishap,  by  which  he  was  laid  up  lame.  The  cause  of 
his  lameness  was  simply  that  some  chigas  had  got  be 
tween  his  toes ;  and  not  having  been  extracted  in  time, 
had  there  laid  their  eggs,  and  caused  a  terrible  inflamma 
tion  to  his  feet,  a  misfortune  that  frequently  happens  in 
tropical  countries.  The  wound  caused  by  the  chiga, 
though  not  absolutely  of  'fatal  consequences,  is  very  dan 
gerous  to  be  trifled  with  —  often  leading  to  the  necessity 
of  amputating  the  part  attacked  by  these  diminutive  in 
sects.  Pouchskin,  sneering  at  the  insignificance  of  the 
enemy,  had  neglected  taking  proper  precautions  —  not 
withstanding  that  the  Indian  canoe-men  had  warned  him 
of  the  danger.  The  consequence  was  a  swelling  of  the 
parts  and  an  inflammation,  that  lamed  the  old  grenadier 
as  completely  as  if  his  leg  had  been  carried  off  by  a 
bomb-shell ;  and  he  was  now  reclining  along  the  top  of 
the  toldo,  unable  to  stand  upon  his  feet. 

For  this  reason,  being  in  no  condition  to  join  his  young 
masters  on  their  pedestrian  excursions,  he  was  necessa 
rily  left  behind.  It  was,  perhaps,  just  as  well  for  him : 
since  it  was  the  means  of  keeping  him  clear  of  a  scrape 
into  which  both  of  the  young  hunters  chanced  to  fall  very 
soon  after ;  and  which,  perhaps,  had  Pouchskin  been  with 
them,  might  have  ended  worse  than  it  did :  since  it  could 
not  have  ended  much  better. 


176  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

A    SKURRY    OVER   A    SAND-BAR. 

JOURNEYING  along  the  bank,  as  we  have  described, 
Alexis  and  Ivan  had  gone  some  two  or  three  miles  up 
the  river.  They  were  beginning  to  get  tired  of  their 
walk :  as  the  sand  was  rather  soft,  and  sank  under  their 
feet  at  every  step.  Just  then  they  descried,  a  little 
ahead  of  them,  a  long  bar,  or  "  spit "  of  the  bank,  run 
ning  out  nearly  to  the  middle  of  the  river.  They  made 
up  their  minds  to  go  on  until  they  should  reach  this  bar. 
At  its  end  appeared  a  proper  place  for  the  periagua  to 
come  to,  and  take  them  aboard. 

The  craft  was  still  working  up-stream,  and  had  got 
nearly  opposite  them,  so  that  they  could  hail  it.  They 
did  so  —  desiring  the  popcro,  or  steersman,  to  put  in  at 
the  extremity  of  the  sand-bar.  This  matter  having  been 
arranged,  they  continued  on  up  the  bank,  going  at  their 
leisure. 

On  arriving  at  that  part  of  the  bank  where  the  sand- 
spit  projected  into  the  river,  they  were  about  stepping 
out  upon  it,  when  the  quick  ear  of  Ivan  caught  the  sound 
of  some  animals  moving  among  the  underwood.  All 
was  game  that  came  to  Ivan's  gun ;  and  as  he  had  seen 
nothing  worth  wasting  a  charge  upon,  during  their  long 


A    SKURRY    OVER   A    SAND-BAR.  177 

walk,  lie  was  very  desirous  to  have  a  shot  at  something 
before  returning  to  the  periagua. 

What  he  heard  was  a  rustling  of  leaves.  It  did  not 
appear  to  proceed  from  any  particular  spot,  but  rather 
from  all  parts  of  the  forest.  Now  and  then  the  sound 
was  varied  by  a  sort  of  half-squeaking  half-grunting 
noise,  that  indicated  the  presence  of  animals,  and  a  great 
many  of  them  too :  since,  at  times,  several  scores  of 
these  squeaks  and  grunts  could  be  heard  uttered  simul 
taneously.  Alexis  heard  the  sounds  too  ;  but  being  less 
of  a  keen  sportsman  than  his  brother,  cared  less  to  go 
after  the  creatures  that  were  making  them.  He  had  no 
objection  to  Ivan  straying  a  little  out  of  his  way ;  and 
promised  to  wait  for  him  on  the  open  bank. 

Had  he  known  what  sort  of  game  it  was  that  his 
brother  was  going  after  —  that  is,  had  he  been  acquainted 
with  the  habits  of  the  animals  that  were  making  them 
selves  heard,  he  would  either  have  gone  along  with  Ivan, 
or,  what  is  more  likely,  would  have  hindered  him  from 
going  at  all.  Alexis,  however,  was  under  the  impression 
that  monkeys  of  some  kind  were  making  the  strange 
noises  —  for  not  only  are  there  many  species  of  these  in 
the  forests  of  the  Napo,  but  some  that  can  imitate  the 
voices  of  other  animals.  Of  course,  with  monkeys,  there 
could  be  no  danger :  since  none  of  the  American  quad- 
rumana  are  large  enough  or  strong  enough  to  attempt 
an  attack  upon  man. 

Ivan  had  not  left  the  spot  more  than  five  minutes,  when 
a  loud  report,  reverberating  among  the  trees,  announced 
that  he  had  fired  his  gun  ;  and,  almost  in  the  same  instant, 
a  second  crack  told  that  both  barrels  were  now  empty. 
8*  L 


178  BRUIN*. 

Alexis  was  about  proceeding  to  the  place  to  see  what 
his  brother  had  shot,  when  all  at  once  his  cars  were  as 
sailed  by  a  loud  chorus  of  noises  —  a  screaming,  and 
snorting,  and  grunting  —  that  seemed  to  corne  from  all 
parts  of  the  wood ;  while  the  cracking  of  sticks,  and  the 
"  swishing  "  of  branches,  announced  a  singular  commotion 

—  as  if  some  hundreds  of  creatures  were  rushing  to  and 
fro  through  the  jungle.     At  the  same  instant  was  heard 
the  voice  of  Ivan,  crying  out  in  accents  of  alarm  ;  while 
the  boy  was  himself  seen  breaking  his  way  through  the 
bushes,  and  running  with  all  his  might  in  the  direction 
of  his  brother.     His  looks  betokened  terror,  as  if  some 
dreaded  pursuer  was  behind  him. 

"  Run  !  brother  —  run  !  "  cried  he,  as  he  got  clear  of 
the  underwood  ;  "  run  for  your  life  !  —  they  're  after  me 

—  they  're  after  me  !  " 

It  was  no  time  to  inquire  what  pursuers  were  after 
him.  Evidently,  they  were  of  a  sort  to  be  shunned : 
since  they  had  caused  to  the  courageous  Ivan  such  seri 
ous  alarm ;  and  Alexis,  without  staying  for  an  explana 
tion,  turned,  and  joined  in  his  brother's  flight.  Both 
directed  themselves  towards  the  open  sand-spit,  in  hopes 
of  being  able  to  reach  the  periagua  —  which  could  be 
seen  just  drawing  up  to  its  point  of  the  bar. 

They  had  not  made  a  dozen  steps  into  the  open 
ground,  when  the  bushes  from  which  they  had  just 
parted  were  seen  to  vibrate,  and  from  out  their  trem 
bling  cover  rushed  a  host  of  strange  creatures :  literally 
a  host,  for,  in  a  few  "seconds'  time,  not  less  than  two  hun 
dred  of  them  made  their  appearance. 

They  were  quadrupeds  of  a  grayish-brown  color,  not 


A    SKURRY    OVER   A    SAND-BAR.  179 

larger  than  half-grown  pigs  ;  and  pigs  they  were  —  that 
is  to  say,  they  were  peccaries.  They  were  those  of  the 
species  labiatus  —  as  could  be  seen  by  their  white  lips. 
These  lips  were  especially  conspicuous,  for  each  indi 
vidual  was  rushing  on  open-mouthed,  with  snout  raised 
aloft  —  all  of  them  cracking  their  teeth  like  castanets, 
uttering,  as  they  ran,  a  confused  chorus  of  short,  sharp 
grunts  and  squeaks,  expressive  of  anger. 

As  soon  as  Alexis  saw  them,  he  recognized  the  peril 
of  (he  situation  in  which  he  and  his  brother  were  placed, 
lie  had  read,  and  heard  moreover  from  the  Portuguese 
trader  —  as  well  as  from  the  Indian  canoe-men  —  of 
the  danger  to  be  apprehended  from  an  attack  of  these 
fierce  little  animals  ;  and  how  the  hunter,  to  escape  from 
them,  is  often  compelled  to  take  to  a  tree.  Had  he  and 
Ivan  reflected  for  a  moment,  they  would  probably  have 
made  for  the  woods,  instead  of  running  out  on  the  open 
sand-bar,  as  they  had  done.  It  was  now  too  late,  how 
ever.  The  peccaries  covered  the  whole  line  of  beach 
behind  them ;  and  no  tree  could  have  been  reached,  with 
out  passing  back  again  through  the  midst  of  the  drove. 
Their  retreat  in  the  direction  of  the  woods  was  completely 
cut  off;  and  there  appeared  no  alternative,  but  to  make 
the  best  use  they  could  of  their  heels,  and,  if  possible,  get 
on  board  the  periagua. 

With  this  determination  they  rushed  on  over  the  sand 
bank,  closely  pursued  by  the  peccaries. 


180  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER     XXXII. 

PURSUED    BY   PECCARIES. 

IT  is  needless  to  say  that  our  young  hunters  took  as 
long  strides  as  the  nature  of  the  ground  would  permit ; 
but,  unfortunately,  they  were  not  long  enough.  The  sand 
was  soft  and  heavy,  and  in  places  so  full  of  holes,  where 
the  turtles  had  had  their  eggs  —  now  empty  —  that  the 
fugitives  could  make  but  slow  progress,  though  fear  was 
urging  them  to  do  their  utmost.  The  pursuers  them 
selves  did  not  make  as  good  speed  as  they  would  have 
made  on  firmer  ground,  but  they  were  going  faster  than 
the  pursued ;  and  the  boys  were  beginning  to  fear  that 
they  would  never  be  able  to  reach  the  periagua  in  time. 
To  be  overtaken  meant  the  same  as  to  be  dragged  upon 
the  sand,  and  to  be  torn  to  pieces  by  the  sharp  tusks 
of  the  peccaries.  The  periagua  was  still  three  hundred 
yards  distant.  The  Indians  saw  the  chase,  and  knew  the 
danger  —  knew  it  so  well,  that  it  was  not  likely  they 
would  venture  ashore  to  the  rescue  ;  and  as  for  Pouch- 
skin,  he  was  unable  to  budge  an  inch  —  even  had  there 
been  no  other  means  of  saving  his  young  masters.  It 
was  a  moment  of  fearful  apprehension  for  the  faithful 
Pouchskin.  He  had  seized  his  fusil,  and  wriggled  his 
body  into  an  erect  attitude ;  but  he  felt  powerless  to  do 
more. 


PURSUED    BY    PECCARIES.  181 

In  this  moment  of  peril  an  object  came  under  the  eyes 
of  Alexis  that  promised  safety.  At  least  it  held  out  the 
prospect  of  a  temporary  retreat  from  the  danger  —  though 
whether  they  might  succeed  in  reaching  this  retreat  was 
not  certain. 

This  object  was  a  tree  —  not  standing  and  growing, 
but  a  fallen  tree  —  dead,  and  divested  of  its  leaves,  its 
bark,  and  most  of  its  branches.  It  lay  upon  the  sand- 
spit  —  where  it  had,  no  doubt,  been  deposited  during  the 
season  of  floods  —  not  exactly  in  the  line  of  their  flight, 
but  some  paces  to  the  right  of  the  track  they  would  have 
followed  in  keeping  on  to  the  periagua.  It  was  nearer 
them  than  the  boat,  by  full  two  hundred  yards ;  and 
Alexis  observing  this,  suddenly  conceived  a  hope  that 
they  might  yet  reach  the  tree,  and  find  shelter,  either 
upon  its  trunk  or  among  its  branches.  Of  these  the 
larger  ones  still  remained  —  rising  many  feet  above  the 
surface  of  the  sand,  and  shrouded  under  masses  of  weeds 
and  withered  grass,  which  had  been  there  deposited  at  the 
falling  of  the  flood.  Indeed,  Alexis  scarce  looked  to  the 
capabilities  the  tree  afforded  for  giving  them  a  secure 
retreat.  There  was  no  alternative.  It  was  like  the 
drowning  man  catching  at  straws.  He  only  cast  a  look 
behind  him,  to  see  what  time  they  might  have  to  spare  ; 
and  by  a  quick  glance  calculating  their  distance  from  the 
pursuers,  he  shouted  to  Ivan  to  follow  him,  and  turned 
obliquely  towards  the  tree. 

They  had  noticed  the  tree  when  first  starting  to  run, 
but  had  not  thought  of  it  as  a  place  of  retreat.  Indeed, 
they  had  thought  of  nothing  except  getting  back  to  the 
boat ;  and  it  was  only  now,  when  this  had  proved 


182  BRUIN. 

clearly  impossible,  that  they  determined  on  taking  to  the 
tree. 

As  they  faced  full  towards  it,  they  were  able  to  no-te 
the  chances  it  offered  for  their  safety.  They  saw  that 
they  were  not  so  bad ;  and,  encouraged  by  hope,  they 
made  efforts  more  energetic  than  ever  —  both  of  them 
straining  every  nerve  and  muscle  in  their  legs  and 
bodies. 

The  effort  was  needed ;  but  fortunately  it  proved  suf 
ficient  to  save  them.  Just  sufficient:  for  scarce  had 
they  succeeded  in  getting  upon  the  log,  and  drawing 
their  limbs  up  after  them,  when  the  infuriated  host  ar 
rived  upon  the  ground,  and  in  a  few  seconds  surrounded 
them  on  all  sides.  Lucky  it  was  that  the  log  was  a 
large  one.  It  was  the  dead-wood  of  a  gigantic  silk- 
cotton  —  the  bombax  ceiba  of  the  tropical  forests  \  and 
its  trunk,  being  full  five  feet  in  diameter,  gave  them 
the?!;  elevation  above  the  surface  of  the  sand. 

Notwithstanding  this,  they  saw  that  their  safety  was 
not  yet  quite  assured :  for  the  spiteful  peccaries,  instead 
of  desisting  in  their  attacks,  commenced  leaping  up 
against  the  log,  endeavoring  to  reach  its  top,  and  there 
assail  them.  Now  and  then  one  more  active  than  the 
rest  actually  succeeded  in  getting  its  fore  feet  over  the 
ridge  of  the  dead-wood :  and,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
quick  use  which  our  hunters  made  of  the  buts  of  their 
guns,  undoubtedly  they  would  have  been  reached.  Both 
stood  with  their  barrels  grasped  firmly  —  now  threaten 
ing  the  assailing  host,  and  now  punching  in  the  head 
such  of  them  as  sprang  within  reach  —  the  peccaries 
all  the  while  uttering  their  angry  grunts,  and  chatter- 


PURSUED    BY   PECCARIES.  183 

ing  their  teeth,  as  if  a  hundred  strings  of  Christmas 
crackers  were  being  let  off  at  the  same  time ! 

In  this  way  the  conflict  was  carried  on  —  the  hun 
ters,  bit  by  bit,  working  themselves  along  the  log  towards 
the  top  branches,  which,  projecting  higher,  appeared  to 
offer  a  more  secure  place  of  retreat.  But  at  intervals 
as  they  advanced,  they  were  compelled  to  make  halt, 
and  deal  a  fresh  shower  of  blows  to  their  assailants,  who 
still  kept  leaping  up  from  below. 

At  length  the  boys  succeeded  in  reaching  the  pro 
jecting  limbs  of  the  tree ;  and  each  choosing  one  strong 
enough  to  carry  him,  they  scrambled  up  towards  their 
tops.  This  placed  them  in  a  position  where  they  could 
set  the  peccaries  at  defiance  ;  for  although  the  crea 
tures  could  now  spring  up  on  the  main  trunk  —  which 
several  of  them  had  already  done  —  the  more  slender 
limbs  baffled  all  their  efforts  at  climbing ;  and  such  of 
them  as  attempted  it  were  seen  to  roll  off  and  tumble 
back  upon  the  sand-bank. 

The  hutfters,  now  feeling  secure,  could  not  refrain 
from  a  shout  of  joy,  which  was  answered  by  a  cheer 
from  the  periagua,  in  which  the  baritone  of  Pouchskin 
bore  a  conspicuous  part. 

Our  heroes  now  believing  themselves  in  for  a  siege, 
began  to  consider  the  best  means  of  raising  it ;  when 
all  at  once  a  spectacle  came  under  their  eyes,  that 
guided  their  thoughts  into  a  far  different  channel. 


184  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

SCYLLA   AND    CHARYBDIS. 

THEIR  retreat  upward  upon  the  slanting  limbs  of 
the  tree  had  brought  a  large  band  of  their  assailants 
round  to  that  side  ;  and,  just  as  they  raised  their  tri 
umphant  cry,  they  saw  the  peccaries  dancing  among 
the  branches  that  lay  extended  along  the  sand-bar. 
Many  of  these  were  hidden  by  the  flakes  of  hanging 
grass  already  mentioned ;  but  another  fearful  creature 
chanced  to  have  been  hidden  there  also ;  who  now  dis 
played  himself  in  all  his  shining  majesty  —  not  only 
to  the  eyes  of  the  besieged,  but  likewise  to  those  of 
the  besiegers.  The  creature  was  a  quadruped  —  one  of 
fearful  mien,  and  dimensions  far  exceeding  that  of  the 
Lilliputian  peccaries.  It  was  their  natural  enemy  — 
the  jaguar! 

Whether  it  was  the  shout  that  had  startled  him,  or 
the  peccaries  had  trodden  him  out  of  his  lair,  or  both, 
certain  it  was  that  he  now  sprang  suddenly  out,  and 
with  one  bound  launched  himself  upon  the  log  For 
a  moment  he  stood  cowering  on  its  top,  turning  his 
eyes  first  upon  the  branches  where  the  boys  had  taken 
refuge,  and  then  in  the  opposite  direction,  towards  tho 
woods.  He  seemed  irresolute  as  to  which  course  he 


SCYLLA    AND    CHARYBDIS.  185 

would  take ;  and  this  irresolution,  so  long  as  it  lasted, 
produced  an  unpleasant  effect  upon  our  young  hunters. 
Should  the  jaguar  also  attack  them,  their  destruction 
might  be  accounted  as  certain  ;  for  the  great  cat  would 
either  strike  them  down  from  their  unstable  perch,  or 
claw  them  to  death  if  they  continued  to  cling  to  it.  Of 
course,  to  fall  down  among  the  peccaries  would  be 
death,  equally  certain  and  terrible. 

By  good  fortune,  however,  the  jaguar  at  the  moment 
of  showing  himself  was  eagerly  assailed  by  the  wild 
pigs  ;  and  it  was  to  escape  from  their  assault,  that  he 
had  sprung  upward  to  the  log.  Thither  the  peccaries 
had  pursued  him,  and  were  now  endeavoring  to  reach 
the  top  of  the  dead-wood,  just  as  they  had  done  while 
after  the  hunters.  The  jaguar  no  longer  stood  silent  and 
irresolute ;  but,  uttering  loud  screams,  he  commenced 
defending  himself  against  the  assailing  host,  striking 
them  with  his  broad  ungulated  paws,  and  flinging  one 
after  another  back  to  the  ground,  where  they  lay  kicking 
in  the  throes  of  death. 

Perhaps  it  was  the  presence  of  mind  exhibited  by 
Alexis  that  brought  matters  to  a  climax,  and  saved  the 
lives  of  himself  and  his  brother.  His  rifle  was  still 
loaded  —  for  it  had  appeared  useless  firing  into  the  midst 
of  two  hundred  assailants.  He  knew  he  could  kill  only 
one  or  two  ;  and  this,  instead  of  frightening  them  off, 
would  but  render  the  others  more  implacable  in  their 
resentment.  Partly  for  this  reason,  and  partly  that  he 
had  all  along  held  the  piece  "  clubbed  "  in  his  hands,  he 
had  reserved  his  fire.  Now  was  the  time  to  deliver  it. 
The  jaguar  was  even  more  to  be  dreaded  than  the  pec- 


186  BKUIN. 

caries  —  for  they  were  now  secure  from  the  attacks  of 
the  latter,  whereas  they  were  not  only  within  reach  of 
the  former,  but  in  the  very  place  to  which  the  brute 
might  fancy  retreating.  To  prevent  this  contingency, 
Alexis  resolved  to  give  the  jaguar  his  bullet. 

It  was  but  a  moment's  work  to  turn  the  gun  in  his 
hand  and  take  aim.  The  crack  followed  quickly ;  and, 
on  the  instant,  the  hunters  had  the  gratification  to  see 
the  great  tawny  quadruped  spring  out  from  the  log,  and 
alight  upon  the  sand  —  where,  in  a  second's  time,  he  was 
surrounded  by  the  dark  drove,  that  from  all  sides  rushed 
screaming  towards  him. 

It  was  a  bit  of  good  fortune  that  the  bullet  of  Alexis 
had  only  wounded  the  jaguar,  instead  of  killing  him  on 
the  spot.  Had  he  been  shot  dead,  the  peccaries  would 
have  torn  his  beautiful  skin  to  ribbons,  and  reduced  his 
quivering  flesh  to  mince-meat,  and  that  within  the  space 
of  a  score  of  seconds  ;  but  luckily  it  chanced  that  the 
jaguar  was  only  wounded  —  had  only  received  a  broken 
leg ;  and,  availing  himself  of  the  three  that  remained 
sound,  he  commenced  retreating  towards  the  timber. 
Thither  he  was  followed  by  his  thick-skinned  assailants  ; 
who,  transferring  their  spite  to  this  new  enemy,  seemed 
to  forget  all  about  their  original  adversaries,  who  re 
mained  quietly  perched  upon  the  limbs  of  the  tree ! 

For  some  time  nothing  could  be  seen  but  a  confused 
crowd,  writhing  over  the  sand  —  a  dark  mass,  in  the 
midst  of  which  now  and  then  a  bright  yellow  object  ap 
peared  conspicuous,  and  was  then  for  a  time  out  of  sight ; 
and  thus,  like  a  rolling  wave,  the  great  drove  went  surg 
ing  on,  amidst  grunting  and  screaming,  and  growling,  and 


SCYLLA   AND    CHARYBDIS.  187 

chattering  of  teeth,  till  it  swept  up  to  the  edge  of  the 
underwood,  and  then  suddenly  disappeared  from  the 
eyes  of  the  spectators  ! 

Whether  the  peccaries  eventually  succeeded  in  de 
stroying  the  jaguar,  or  whether  the  wounded  tyrant  of 
the  forest  escaped  from  their  terrible  teeth,  could  never 
be  told.  Our  young  hunters  had  no  curiosity  to  follow 
and  witness  the  denouement  of  this  strange  encounter. 
Neither  cared  they  to  take  up  the  bodies  of  the  slain. 
Ivan  was  completely  cured  of  any  penchant  he  might 
have  had  for  peccary  pork  ;  and,  as  soon  as  their  late 
assailants  were  fairly  out  of  sight,  both  leaped  down  from 
the  limbs  of  the  tree,  and  made  all  haste  towards  the 
boat.  This  they  reached  without  further  molestation ; 
and  the  canoe-men,  rapidly  plying  their  paddles,  soon 
shot  the  craft  out  upon  the  bosom  of  the  broad  river  — 
where  they  were  safe  from  the  attack  either  of  wild  pigs 
or  wild  cats. 

It  was  likely  the  jaguar  betook  himself  to  a  tree  —  his 
usual  mode  of  escape  when  surrounded  by  a  herd  of  in 
furiated  peccaries  —  and,  as  a  proof  that  he  had  done  so, 
our  travellers  could  hear  the  wild  hogs  still  uttering  their 
fierce  grunts  long  after  the  boat  had  rounded  the  sand- 
spit,  and  was  passing  up  the  bend  of  the  river. 


188  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

THE    OLD    MISSIONS. 

PASSING  many  scenes  of  interest,  and  meeting  with 
several  other  strange  incidents,  our  travellers  at  length 
arrived  at  Arcliidona  —  a  small  town  at  the  head  of  boat 
navigation  upon  the  Napo,  and  the  usual  port  of  embar 
kation  for  persons  proceeding  from  the  country  around 
Quito  to  the  regions  upon  the  Amazon.  Up  to  this  place 
they  had  been  journeying  through  a  complete  wilderness 
—  the  only  exceptions  being  some  missionary  stations,  in 
each  of  which  a  monkish  priest  holds  a  sort  of  control 
over  two  or  three  hundred  half-christianized  Indians.  It 
would  be  absurd  to  call  these  missions  civilized  settle 
ments  :  since  they  are  in  no  degree  more  advanced,  either 
in  civilization  or  prosperity,  than  the  maloccas,  or  villages 
of  the  wild  Indians  —  the  "  infidels,"  as  it  pleases  the 
monks  to  call  those  tribes  who  have  not  submitted  to 
their  puerile  teachings.  Whatever  difference  exists  be 
tween  the  two  kinds  of  Indians  is  decidedly  in  favor  of 
the  unconverted  tribes,  who  display  at  least  the  virtues 
of  valor  and  a  love  of  liberty,  while  the  poor  neophytes 
of  the  missions  have  suffered  a  positive  debasement,  by 
their  conversion  to  this  so-called  "  Christian  religion." 
All  these  monkish  settlements — not  only  on  the  Napo,  but 


THE    OLD    MISSIONS.  189 

on  the  other  tributaries  of  the  Amazon  —  were  at  one 
time  in  a  state  of  considerable  prosperity.  The  mis 
sionary  padres,  backed  by  a  little  soldier  help  from  the 
Spanish  Government,  were  more  able  to  control  their 
Indian  converts,  and  compel  them  to  work  —  so  that  a 
certain  amount  of  prosperity  was  visible  in  the  mission 
settlements,  and  some  of  them  had  even  attained  to  a 
degree  of  wealth.  This,  however,  was  but  an  apparent 
civilization  ;  and  its  benefits  only  extended  to  the  monks 
themselves.  The  Indian  neophytes  were  in  no  way  bet 
tered  by  the  wealth  they  created.  Their  condition  was 
one  of  pure  slavery  —  the  monks  being  their  masters, 
and  very  often  hard  taskmasters  they  proved  themselves 
—  living  in  fine  conventual  style  upon  the  sweat  and 
labor  of  their  brown-skinned  converts.  The  only  return 
made  by  them  to  the  Indians  was  to  teach  the  latter  those 
trades,  by  the  practice  of  which  they  themselves  might  be 
benefited,  and  that  was  their  sole  motive  for  civilizing 
them.  On  the  other  hand,  instead  of  endeavoring  to  cul 
tivate  their  intellectual  nature,  they  strove  in  every  way 
to  restrain  it  —  inculcating  those  doctrines  of  duty  and 
obedience  so  popular  among  the  priests  and  princes  of 
the  world.  They  taught  them  a  religion  of  the  lips  and 
not  of  the  heart  —  a  religion  of  mere  idle  ceremonies,  of 
the  most  showy  kind ;  and  above  all  a  religion  whose 
every  observance  required  to  be  paid  for  by  toll  and 
tithe.  In  this  manner  they  continued  to  filch  from  the 
poor  aboriginal  every  hour  of  his  work  —  and  keep  him 
to  all  intents  and  purposes  an  abject  slave.  No  wonder, 
that  when  the  Spanish  power  declined,  and  the  soldier 
could  no  longer  be  spared  to  secure  the  authority  of  the 


190  BRUIN. 

priest  —  no  wonder  that  the  whole  system  gave  way,  and 
the  missions  of  Spanish  America  —  from  California  to 
the  Patagonian  plains  —  sank  into  decay.  Hundreds  of 
these  establishments  have  been  altogether  abandoned  — 
their  pseudo-converts  having  returned  once  more  to  the 
savage  state  —  and  the  ruins  of  convents  and  churches 
alone  remain  to  attest  that  they  ever  existed.  Those  still 
in  existence  exhibit  the  mere  remnants  of  their  former 
prosperity,  and  are  only  kept  together  by  the  exertions 
of  the  monks  themselves  —  backed  by  a  slight  thread  of 
authority,  which  they  derive  from  the  superstitions  they 
have  been  able  to  inculcate.  In  fact,  in  the  missions  now 
e-xisting,  the  monks  have  no  other  power  than  that  which 
they  wield  through  the  terrors  of  the  Church  ;  and  in 
most  cases,  these  padres  constitute  a  sort  of  hierarch 
chieftaincy,  which  has  supplanted  the  old  system  of  the 
curacas,  or  caciques. 

At  one  period  the  missions  of  the  Napo  were  both 
numerous  and  powerful.  That  was  while  they  were 
under  the  superintendence  of  those  active  apostles,  the 
Jesuit  fathers  ;  but  most  of  their  settlements  have  long 
ago  disappeared ;  and  now  only  a  few  sparse  stations 
exist  along  the  borders  of  the  great  Montana. 

In  ascending  the  Napo,  our  travellers  had  an  oppor 
tunity  of  visiting  some  of  these  old  missionary  establish 
ments  ;  and  observing  the  odd  rigmarole  of  superstitions 
there  practised  under  the  guise,  and  in  the  name  of  re 
ligion  —  a  queer  commingling  of  pagan  rites  with  Chris 
tian  ceremonies  —  not  unlike  those  Budhistic  forms  from 
which  these  same  ceremonies  have  been  borrowed. 

One  advantage  our  travellers  derived  from  the  exist- 


THE    OLD    MISSIONS.  191 

ence  of  these  stations :  they  were  enabled  to  obtain  from 
them  the  provisions  required  upon  their  long  riverine 
voyage  ;  and  without  this  assistance  they  would  have 
found  it  much  more  difficult  to  accomplish  such  a  journey. 

Beyond  Archidona  the  rest  of  the  journey  to  Quito 
would  have  to  be  performed  on  horseback,  or  rather  mule- 
back  ;  but  they  were  not  going  direct  to  Quito.  Between 
them  and  the  old  Peruvian  capital  lay  the  eastern  cor- 
dillera  of  the  Andes,  and  it  was  along  its  declivities,  and 
in  the  valleys  between  its  transverse  spurs,  facing  the  Mon 
tana,  they  would  have  to  search  for  the  haunts  of  the  bear. 

On  the  Napo  itself,  still  higher  up  than  Archidona  — 
where  the  stream,  fed  by  the  snows  of  the  grand  volcano 
of  Cotopaxi,  issues  from  the  spurs  of  the  Andes  —  there 
were  they  most  likely  to  accomplish  the  object  of  their 
expedition,  and  thither  determined  they  to  go. 

Having  procured  mules  and  a  guide,  they  proceeded 
onward  ;  and  after  a  journey  of  three  days  —  in  which, 
from  the  difficulty  of  the  roads,  they  had  travelled  less 
than  fifty  miles  —  they  found  themselves  among  the  foot 
hills  of  the  Andes  —  the  giant  Cotopaxi  with  his  snowy 
cone  towering  stupendous  above  their  heads. 

Here  they  were  in  the  proper  range  of  the  bears  — 
a  part  of  the  country  famous  for  the  great  numbers  of 
these  animals  —  and  it  only  remained  for  them  to  fix 
their  head-quarters  in  some  village,  and  make  arrange 
ments  for  prosecuting  the  chase. 

The  little  town  of  Napo,  called  after  the  river,  and 
situated  as  it  is  in  the  midst  of  a  forest  wilderness,  offered 
all  the  advantages  they  required;  and,  choosing  it  as 
their  temporary  residence,  they  were  soon  engaged  in 
searching  for  the  black  bear  of  the  Cordilleras. 


192  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

EATING  A  NEGRO'S  HEAD. 

ACCORDING  to  their  usual  practice,  they  had  hired 
one  of  the  native  hunters  of  the  district  to  act  as  a  guide, 
and  assist  them  in  finding  the  haunts  of  Bruin.  In  Napo 
they  were  fortunate  in  meeting  with  the  very  man,  in 
the  person  of  a  mestizo,  or  half-blood  Indian,  who  fol 
lowed  hunting  for  his  sole  calling.  He  was  what  is 
termed  a  "  tigrero,"  or  tiger-hunter  —  which  title  he 
derived  from  the  fact  that  the  jaguar  was  the  principal 
object  of  his  pursuit.  Among  all  Spanish  Americans  — 
Mexicans  included  —  the  beautiful  spotted  jaguar  is  erro 
neously  termed  tigre  (tiger),  as  the  puma  or  couguar  is 
called  leon  (lion).  A  hunter  of  the  jaguar  is  therefore 
denominated  a  "  tiger-hunter,"  or  tigrero. 

There  are  no  puma  or  lion-hunters  by  profession  — 
as  there  is  nothing  about  this  brute  to  make  it  worth 
while  —  but  hunting  the  jaguar  is,  in  many  parts  of 
Spanish  America,  a  specific  calling  ;  and  men  make  their 
living  solely  by  following  this  occupation.  One  induce 
ment  is  to  obtain  the  skin,  which,  in  common  with  those  x 
of  the  great  spotted  cats  of  the  Old  World,  is  an  article 
of  commerce,  and  from  its  superior  beauty  commands 
a  good  price.  But  the  tigrero  could  scarce  make  out  to 


EA.TENG   A   NEGRO'S    HEAD.  193 

live  upon  the  sale  of  the  skins  alone ;  for  although  a 
London  furrier  will  charge  from  two  to  three  guineas  for 
a  jaguar's  robe,  the  poor  hunter  in  his  remote  wilderness 
market  can  obtain  little  more  than  a  tenth  part  of  this 
price,  —  notwithstanding  that  he  has  to  risk  his  life, 
before  he  can  strip  the  fair  mantle  from  the  shoulders 
of  its  original  wearer. 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  jaguar-hunting  would  not 
pay,  rf  there  was  only  the  pelt  to  depend  upon ;  but  the 
tigrero  looks  to  another  source  of  profit  —  the  bounfy. 

In  the  hotter  regions  of  Spanish  America,  —  the  Brazils 
as  well  —  there  are  many  settlements  to  which  the  jaguar 
is  not  only  a  pest,  but  a  terror.  Cattle  in  hundreds  are 
destroyed  by  these  great  predatory  animals ;  even  full- 
grown  horses  are  killed  and  dragged  away  by  them ! 
But  is  this  all  ?  Are  the  people  themselves  left  un 
molested?  No.  On  the  contrary,  great  numbers  of 
human  beings  every  year  fall  victims  to  the  rapacity 
of  the  jaguars.  Settlements  attempted  on  the  edge  of 
the  great  Montana  —  in  the  very  country  where  our 
young  hunters  had  now  arrived  — have,  after  a  time,  been 
abandoned  from  this  cause  alone.  It  is  a  well-known 
fact  that  where  a  settlement  has  been  formed,  the  jaguars 
soon  become  more  plentiful  in  that  neighborhood:  the 
increased  facility  of  obtaining  food  —  by  preying  on  the 
cattle  of  the  settlers,  or  upon  the  owners  themselves  — 
accounting  for  this  augmentation  in  their  numbers.  It 
is  precisely  the  same  with  the  royal  tiger  of  India,  as  is 
instanced  in  the  history  of  the  modern  settlement  of 
Singapore. 

To  prevent  the  increase  of  the  jaguars,  then,  a  bounty 
9  M 


194  BRUIN. 

is  offered  for  their  destruction.  This  bounty  is  some 
times  the  gift  of  the  government  of  the  country,  and 
sometimes  of  the  municipal  authorities  of  the  district. 
Not  unfrequently  private  individuals,  who  own  large 
herds  of  cattle,  give  a  bounty  out  of  their  private  purses 
for  every  jaguar  killed  within  the  limits  of  their  estates. 
Indeed,  it  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  the  wealthy  pro 
prietor  of  a  cattle-estate  (hacienda  de  ganados)  to  main 
tain  one  or  more  "tigreros"  in  his  service — just  as 
gamekeepers  are  kept  by  European  grandees  —  whose 
sole  business  consists  in  hunting  and  destroying  the  jag 
uar.  These  men  are  sometimes  pure  Indians,  but,  as  a 
general  thing,  they  are  of  the  mixed,  or  mestizo  race.  It 
need  hardly  be  said  that  they  are  hunters  of  the  greatest 
courage.  They  require  to  be  so:  since  an  encounter 
with  a  full-grown  jaguar  is  but  little  less  dangerous  than 
with  his  striped  congener  of  the  Indian  jungles.  In 
these  conflicts,  the  tigreros  often  receive  severe  wounds 
from  the  teeth  and  claws  of  their  terrible  adversary ; 
and,  not  unfrequently,  the  hunter  himself  becomes  the 
victim. 

You  may  wonder  that  men  are  found  to  follow  such  a 
perilous  calling,  and  with  such  slight  inducement  —  for 
even  the  bounty  is  only  a  trifle  of  a  dollar  or  two  —  dif 
fering  in  amount  in  different  districts,  and  according  to 
the  liberality  of  the  bestower.  But  it  is  in  this  matter  as 
witli  all  others  of  a  like  kind  —  where  the  very  danger 
itself  seems  to  be  the  lure. 

The  tigrero  usually  depends  upon  fire-arms  for  destroy 
ing  his  noble  game ;  but  where  his  shot  fails,  and  it  is 
necessary  to  come  to  close  quarters,  he  will  even  attack 


EATING  A  NEGRO'S  HEAD.  195 

the  jaguar  with  his  machete  —  a  species  of  half-knife 
half-sword,  to  be  found  in  every  Spanish- American  cot 
tage  from  California  to  Chili. 

Very  often  the  jaguar  is  hunted  without  the  gun.  The 
tigrero,  in  this  case,  arms  himself  with  a  short  spear,  the 
shaft  of  which  is  made  of  a  strong,  hard  wood,  either  a 
ffuaiacum,  or  a  piece  of  the  split  trunk  of  one  of  the 
hard-wood  palms. 

The  point  of  this  spear  is  frequently  without  iron  — 
only  sharpened  and  hardened  by  being  held  in  the  fire 
—  and  with  this  in  his  left  hand,  and  his  short  sword  in 
the  right,  the  hunter  advances  with  confidence  upon  his 
formidable  adversary.  This  confidence  has  been  forti 
fied  by  a  contrivance  which  he  has  had  the  precaution  to 
adopt  —  that  is,  of  enveloping  his  left  arm  in  the  ample 
folds  of  his  blanket  —  serape,  roana,  or  poncho,  according 
to  the  country  to  which  he  belongs  —  and  using  this  as 
a  shield. 

The  left  arm  is  held  well  forward,  so  that  the  woollen 
mass  may  cover  his  body  against  the  bound  of  the  ani 
mal,  and  thus  is  the  attack  received.  The  jaguar,  like 
all  feline  quadrupeds,  springs  directly  forward  upon  his 
prey.  The  tigrero,  prepared  for  this,  and,  with  every 
nerve  braced,  receives  the  assailant  upon  the  point  of  his 
short  spear.  Should  the  jaguar  strike  with  its  claws  it 
only  clutches  the  woollen  cloth  ;  and  while  tearing  at 
this  —  which  it  believes  to  be  the  body  of  its  intended 
victim  —  the  right  arm  of  the  hunter  is  left  free,  and 
with  the  sharp  blade  of  his  machete  he  can  either  make 
cut  or  thrust  at  his  pleasure.  It  is  not  always  that  the 
tigrero  succeeds  in  destroying  his  enemy  without  receiv- 


196  BRUIN. 

ing  a  scratch  or  two  in  return ;  but  a  daring  hunter 
makes  light  of  such  wounds  —  for  these  scars  become 
badges  of  distinction,  and  give  him  eclat  among  the  vil 
lages  of  the  Montana. 

Just  such  a  man  was  the  guide  whom  our  young  hunt 
ers  had  engaged,  and  who,  though  a  tiger-hunter  by  pro 
fession,  was  equally  expert  at  the  capturing  of  a  bear  — 
when  one  of  these  animals  chanced  to  stray  down  from 
the  higher  slopes  of  the  mountains,  into  the  Avarmer 
country  frequented  by  the  jaguars.  It  was  not  always 
that  bears  could  be  found  in  these  lower  regions  ;  but 
there  is  a  particular  season  of  the  year  when  the  black 
bear  (ursus  frugilegus)  descends  far  below  his  u#ual 
range,  and  even  wanders  far  out  into  the  forests  of  the 
Montana. 

Of  course  there  must  be  some  inducement  for  his 
making  this  annual  migration  from  his  mountain  home  ; 
for  the  ursus  frugilegus,  though  here  dwelling  within  the 
tropics,  does  not  affect  a  tropical  climate.  Neither  is  he 
a  denizen  of  the  very  cold  plains  —  the  paramos  —  that 
extend  among  the  summits  of  eternal  snow.  A  medium 
temperature  is  his  choice  ;  and  this,  as  we  have  already 
stated,  he  finds  among  the  foot-hills  forming  the  lower 
zone  of  the  Eastern  Andes.  It  is  there  he  spends  most 
of  his  life,  and  that  is  his  place  of  birth,  and  consequently 
his  true  home.  At  a  particular  season  of  the  year,  cor 
responding  to  the  summer  of  our  own  country,  he  makes 
a  roving  expedition  to  the  lower  regions  ;  and  for  what 
purpose  ?  This  was  the  very  question  which  Alexis  put 
to  the  tigrero.  The  answer  was  as  curious  as  laconic  :  — 

"  Comer  la  cabeza  del  negr-o."  (To  eat  the  negro's 
'lead !) 


EATING  A  NEGRO'S  HEAD.  197 

"  Ha,  ha !  to  eat  the  negro's  head ! "  repeated  Ivan, 
with  an  incredulous  laugh. 

"  Just  so,  seiiorito  ! "  rejoined  the  man  ;  "  that  is  what 
what  brings  him  down  here." 

"  Why,  the  voracious  brute  ! "  said  Ivan  ;  "  you  don't 
mean  to  say  that  he  makes  food  of  the  heads  of  the  poor 
negroes  ?  " 

"  O  no  ! "  replied  the  tigrero,  smiling  in  his  turn  ;  "  it 
is  not  that." 

"  What  then  ?  "  impatiently  inquired  Ivan.  "  I  'v/e 
heard  of  negro-head  tobacco.  He 's  not  a  tobacco-chew- 
er,  is  he  ?  " 

"  Carrambo !  no,  senorito,"  replied  the  tiger-hunter, 
now  laughing  outright ;  "  that 's  not  the  sort  of  food  the 
fellow  is  fond  of.  You  '11  see  it  presently.  By  good  luck, 
it's  just  in  season  now — just  as  the  bears  fancy  it  — 
or  else  we  need  n't  look  to  start  them  here.  We  should 
have  to  go  further  up  the  mountains :  where  they  are 
more  difficult  both  to  find  and  follow.  But  no  doubt  we  '11 
soon  stir  one  up,  when  we  get  among  the  cabezas  del 
negro.  The  nuts  are  just  now  full  of  their  sweet  milky 
paste,  of  which  the  bears  are  so  fond,  and  about  a  mile 
from  here  there  are  whole  acres  of  the  trees.  I  warrant 
we  find  a  bear  among  them." 

Though  still  puzzled  with  this  half-explanation,  our 
young  hunters  followed  the  guide  —  confident  that  they 
would  soon  come  in  sight  of  the  "  negro's  head." 


198  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

THE    TAGTJA-TREE. 

AFTER  going  about  a  mile  further,  as  their  guide  had 
forewarned  them,  they  came  within  sight  of  a  level  val 
ley,  or  rather  a  plain,  covered  with  a  singular  vegetation. 
It  looked  as  if  it  had  been  a  forest  of  palms  —  the  trunks 
of  which  had  sunk  down  into  the  earth,  and  left  only  the 
heads,  with  their  great  radiating  fronds  above  the  ground  ! 
Some  of  them  stood  a  foot  or  two  above  the  surface  ;  but 
most  appeared  as  if  their  stems  had  been  completely 
buried !  They  were  growing  all  the  same,  however ; 
and,  at  the  bottom  of  each  great  bunch  of  pinnate  leaves, 
could  be  seen  a  number  of  large,  roundish  objects  — 
which  were  evidently  the  fruits  of  the  plant. 

There  was  no  mystery  about  the  stems  being  buried 
underground.  There  were  no  stems,  and  never  had  been 
any  —  except  those  that  were  seen  rising  a  yard  or  so 
above  the  surface.  Neither  was  there  any  longer  a  mys 
tery  about  the  "  negro's  head ; "  for  the  rounded  fruit 
with  its  wrinkled  coriaceous  pericarp  —  suggesting  a  re 
semblance  to  the  little  curly  knots  of  wool  on  the  head 
of  an  African  —  was  evidently  the  object  to  which  the 
tigrero  had  applied  the  ambiguous  appellation. 

What  our  hunters  saw  was  neither  more  nor  less  than 


THE   TAGUA-TREE.  199 

a  grove  of  Tagua-trees  —  better  known  as  the  "vege 
table  ivory." 

This  singular  tree  was  for  a  long  time  regarded  as  a 
plant  of  the  Cycas  family ;  and  by  some  botanists  it  has 
been  classed  among  the  Pandanacece,  or  screw-pines. 
Growing,  as  its  leaves  do,  almost  out  of  the  earth,  or 
with  only  a  short  trunk,  it  bears  a  very  marked  resem 
blance  to  the  cycads ;  but  for  all  this,  it  is  a  true  palm. 
Its  not  having  a  tall  trunk  is  no  reason  why  it  should  not 
be  a  palm,  since  many  other  species  of  palmacece  are 
equally  destitute  of  a  visible  stem.  It  is  now,  however, 
acknowledged  by  the  most  expert  botanists,  that  the 
"  Tagua  "  —  or  "  Cabeza  del  Negro,"  as  'the  Peruvians 
style  it  —  is  a  palm;  and  it  has  been  honored  as  the 
representative  of  a  genus  (Phytelephas),  of  which  there 
are  but  two  species  known  —  the  great-fruited  and  little- 
fruited  (macrocarpa  and  microcarpa).  Both  are  natives 
of  the  hot  valleys  of  the  Andes,  and  differ  very  little 
from  each  other ;  but  it  is  the  species  with  the  larger 
fruit  that  is  distinguished  by  the  figurative  title  of  "  ne 
gro's  head." 

The  Peruvian  Indians  use  the  pinnate  fronds  of  both 
species  for  thatching  their  huts ;  but  it  is  the  nuts  of  the 
larger  one  that  have  given  its  great  celebrity  to  the  tree. 
These  are  of  an  oblong  triangular  shape ;  and  a  great 
number  of  them  are  enclosed  in  the  pericarp,  already 
described.  When  young,  they  are  filled  with  a  watery 
liquid  that  has  no  particular  taste  ;  though  regarded  by 
the  Indians  as  a  most  refreshing  beverage.  A  little 
older,  this  crystal-like  fluid  turns  of  a  milky  color  and 
consistence  ;  and  still  later  it  becomes  a  white  paste. 


200  BRUIN. 

When  fully  ripe,  it  congeals  to  the  whiteness  and  hard 
ness  of  ivory  itself;  and,  if  kept  out  of  water,  is  even 
more  beautiful  in  texture  than  the  tusks  of  the  elephant. 
It  has  been  employed  by  the  Indians  from  time  im 
memorial  in  the  construction  of  buttons,  heads  for  their 
pipes,  and  many  other  purposes.  Of  late  years  it  has 
found  its  way  into  the  hands  of  civilized  artisans ;  and 
since  it  can  be  procured  at  a  cheaper  rate,  and  is  quite 
equal  to  the  real  ivory  for  many  useful  and  ornamental 
articles,  it  has  become  an  important  item  of  commerce. 

But  however  much  the  vegetable  ivory  may  be  es 
teemed  by  the  Indians,  or  by  bipeds  of  any  kind,  there 
is  one  quadruped  who  thinks  quite  as  much  of  it  as  they, 
and  that  is  the  black  bear  of  the  Andes  (ursus  frugilegus). 
It  is  not,  however,  when  it  has  reached  the  condition  of 
ivory  that  Bruin  cares  for  it.  Then  the  nut  would  be 
too  hard,  even  for  his  powerful  jaws  to  crack.  It  is  when 
it  is  in  the  milky  state  —  or  rather  after  it  has  become 
coagulated  to  a  paste  —  that  he  relishes  it ;  and  with  so 
much  avidity  does  he  devour  the  sweet  pulp,  that  at  this 
season  he  is  easily  discovered  in  the  midst  of  his  depre 
dations,  and  will  scarce  move  away  from  his  meal  even 
upon  the  appearance  of  the  hunter !  While  engaged  in 
devouring  his  favorite  negro-head,  he  appears  indiffer 
ent  to  any  danger  that  may  threaten  him. 

Of  this  our  hunters  had  proof,  and  very  shortly  after 
entering  among  the  tagua-trees.  As  the  tigrero  had 
predicted,  they  soon  came  upon  the  "  sign  "  of  a  bear, 
and  almost  in  the  same  instant  discovered  Bruin  him 
self  browsing  upon  the  fruit. 

The  young  hunters,  and  Pouchskin  too,  were  about 


THE   TAGUA-TREE.  201 

getting  ready  to  fire  upon  him ;  when,  to  their  surprise, 
they  saw  the  tigrero,  who  was  mounted  on  a  prancing 
little  horse,  spur  out  in  front  of  them,  and  gallop  towards 
the  bear.  They  knew  that  the  killing  of  the  animal 
should  have  been  left  to  them;  but  as  they  had  given 
their  guide  no  notice  of  this,  they  said  nothing,  but 
looked  on  —  leaving  the  tigrero  to  manage  matters  after 
his  own  way. 

It  was  evident  that  he  intended  to  attack  the  bear,  and 
in  a  peculiar  fashion.  They  knew  this  by  seeing  that  he 
carried  a  coil  of  raw-hide  rope  over  his  arm,  on  one  end 
of  which  there  was  a  ring  and  loop.  They  knew,  more 
over,  that  this  was  a  celebrated  weapon  of  the  South 
Americans  —  the  lazo,  in  short ;  but  never  having  wit 
nessed  an  exhibition  of  its  use,  they  were  curious  to  do 
so ;  and  this  also  influenced  them  to  keep  their  places. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  horseman  had  galloped  within 
some  twenty  paces  of  the  bear.  The  latter  took  the 
alarm,  and  commenced  trotting  off;  but  with  a  sullen 
reluctance,  which  showed  that  he  had  no  great  disposi 
tion  to  shun  the  encounter. 

The  ground  was  tolerably  clear,  the  taguas  standing 
far  apart,  and  many  of  them  not  rising  higher  than  the 
bear's  back.  This  gave  the  spectators  an  opportunity 
of  witnessing  the  chase. 

It  was  not  a  long  one.  The  bear  perceiving  that  the 
horseman  was  gaining  upon  him,  turned  suddenly  in  his 
track?,  and,  with  an  angry  growl,  rose  erect  upon  his 
hind  legs,  and  stood  facing  his  pursuer  in  an  attitude  of 
defiance.  As  the  horseman  drew  near,  however,  he  ap 
peared  to  become  cowed,  and  once  more  turning  tail, 
9* 


202  BRUIN. 

shambled  off  through  the  bushes.  This  time  he  only  ran 
a  few  lengths :  for  the  shouts  of  the  hunter  provoking 
him  to  a  fresh  fit  of  fury,  caused  him  to  halt  again,  and 
raise  himself  erect  as  before. 

This  was  just  the  opportunity  of  which  the  hunter  was 
in  expectation ;  and  before  the  bear  could  lower  himself 
on  all-fours  —  to  charge  forward  upon  the  horse,  the 
long  rope  went  spinning  through  the  air,  and  its  noose 
was  seen  settling  over  the  shoulders  of  the  bear.  The 
huge  quadruped,  puzzled  by  this  mode  of  attack,  en 
deavored  to  seize  hold  of  the  rope  ;  but  so  thin  was  the 
raw-hide  thong,  that  he  could  not  clutch  it  with  his  great 
unwieldy  paws ;  and  by  his  efforts  he  only  drew  the 
noose  tighter  around  his  neck. 

Meanwhile,  the  hunter,  on  projecting  the  lazo,  had 
wheeled,  with  the  quickness  of  thought ;  and,  driving  his 
sharp  spurs  into  the  ribs  of  his  horse,  caused  the  latter 
to  gallop  in  the  opposite  direction.  One  might  have  sup 
posed  that  he  had  taken  fright  at  the  bear,  and  was  en 
deavoring  to  get  out  of  the  way.  Not  so.  His  object 
was  very  different.  The  lazo  still  formed  a  link  of  con 
nection  between  the  hunter  and  his  game.  One  end  of 
it  was  fast  to  a  staple  firmly  embedded  in  the  wood  of  the 
saddle-tree,  while  the  other,  as  we  have  seen,  was  noosed 
around  the  bear.  As  the  horse  stretched  off,  the  rope 
was  seen  to  tighten  with  a  sudden  jerk ;  and  Bruin  was 
not  only  floored  from  his  erect  attitude,  but  plucked  clear 
off  his  feet,  and  laid  sprawling  along  the  earth.  In  that 
position  he  was  not  permitted  to  remain :  for  the  horse 
continuing  his  gallop,  he  was  dragged  along  the  ground 
at  the  end  of  the  lazo  —  his  huge  body  now  bounding 


THE    TAGUA-TREE.  203 

several  feet  from  the  earth,  and  now  breaking  through 
the  bushes  with  a  crackling,  crashing  noise,  such  as  he 
had  himself  never  made  in  his  most  impetuous  charges. 

In  this  way  went  horse  and  bear  for  half  a  rnile  over 
the  plain  ;  the  spectators  following  after  to  witness  the 
ending  of  the  affair.  About  that  there  was  nothing  par 
ticular  :  for  when  the  tigrero  at  length  halted,  and  the 
party  got  up  to  the  ground,  they  saw  only  an  immobile 
mass  of  shaggy  hair  —  so  coated  with  dust  as  to  resemble 
a  heap  of  earth.  It  was  the  bear  without  a  particle  of 
breath  in  his  body  ;  but,  lest  he  might  recover  it  again, 
the  tigrero  leaped  from  his  horse,  stepped  up  to  the  pros 
trate  bear,  and  buried  his  machete  between  the  ribs  of  the 
unconscious  animal. 

That,  he  said,  was  the  way  they  captured  bears  in  his 
part  of  the  country.  They  did  not  employ  the  same 
plan  with  the  jaguars  :  because  these  animals,  crouching, 
as  they  do,  offered  no  opportunity  for  casting  the  noose 
over  them  ;  and,  besides,  the  jaguars  haunt  only  among 
thick  woods,  where  the  lazo  could  not  be  used  to  ad 
vantage. 

Of  course,  the  skin  of  this  particular  bear  was  not 
suitable  for  the  purpose  for  which  one  was  required  ; 
and  the  tigrero  kept  it  for  his  own  profit.  But  that  did 
not  signify  :  another  bear  was  soon  discovered  among  the 
tagua-trees ;  and  this  being  despatched  by  a  shot  from 
the  rifle  of  Alexis,  —  supplemented,  perhaps,  by  a  bullet 
from  the  fusil  of  the  ex-guardsman,  —  supplied  them 
with  a  skin  according  to  contract ;  and  so  far  as  the  ursus 
frugilegus  was  concerned,  their  bear-hunting  in  that 
neighborhood  was  at  an  end.  To  find  his  cousin  with 


20  i  BRUIN. 

the  "  goggle  eyes,"  they  would  have  to  journey  onward 
and  upward  ;  and  adopting  for  their  motto  the  spirit-stir 
ring  symbol,  "  Excelsior  ! "  they  proceeded  to  climb  the 
stupendous  Cordilleras  of  the  Andes. 

In  one  of  the  higher  valleys,  known  among  Peruvians 
as  the  "  Sierra,"  they  obtained  a  specimen  of  the  "  Hu- 
cumari."  They  chanced  upon  this  creature  while  he  was 
engaged  in  plundering  a  field  of  Indian  corn  —  quite 
close  to  a  "  tambo,"  or  traveller's  shed,  where  they  had 
put  up  for  the  night.  It  was  very  early  in  the  morning 
when  the  corn-stealer  was  discovered ;  but  being  caught 
in  the  act,  and  his  whole  attention  taken  up  with  the 
sweet  milky  ears  of  maize,  his  "  spectacled  "  eyes  did  not 
avail  him.  Our  hunters,  approaching  with  due  caution, 
were  able  to  get  so  near,  that  the  first  shot  tumbled  him 
over  among  the  stalks. 

Having  secured  his  skin,  they  mounted  their  mules, 
and  by  the  great  Cordillera  road  proceeded  onward  to 
the  ancient  capital  of  northern  Peru. 


NORTHWARD  !  205 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

NORTHWARD  ! 

AFTER  resting  some  days  in  the  old  capital  of  Quito, 
our  travellers  proceeded  to  the  small  port  of  Barbacoas, 
on  the  west  coast  of  Equador ;  and  thence  took  passage 
for  Panama.  Crossing  the  famous  Isthmus  to  Porto  Bello, 
they  shipped  again  for  New  Orleans,  on  the  Mississippi. 
Of  course,  their  next  aim  was  to  procure  the  North 
American  bears  —  including  the  Polar,  which  is  equally 
an  inhabitant  of  northern  Asia,  but  which,  by  the  con 
ditions  of  their  route,  would  be  more  conveniently 
reached  on  the  continent  of  North  America.  Alexis 
knew  that  the  black  bear  (ursus  americanus}  might  be 
met  with  anywhere  on  that  continent  from  the  shores  of 
Hudson's  Bay  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  from  the 
seaboard  of  the  Atlantic  to  the  coast  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  No  other  has  so  wide  a  range  as  this  species  — 
with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of  the  brown  bear  of  Eu 
rope  —  which,  as  we  have  said,  is  also  an  Asiatic  animal. 
Throughout  the  whole  extent  of  country  above  defined, 
the  black  bear  may  be  encountered,  not  specially  confin 
ing  himself  to  mountain-ranges.  True,  in  the  more  set 
tled  districts  he  has  been  driven  to  these  —  as  affording 
him  a  refuge  from  the  hunter;  but  in  his  normal  condition 


206  BRUIN. 

he  is  by  no  means  a  mountain-dwelling  animal.  On  the 
contrary,  he  affects  equally  the  low-wooded  bottoms  of  ra 
vines,  and  is  as  much  at  home  in  a  climate  of  tropical  or 
sub-tropical  character,  as  in  the  cold  forests  of  the  Canadas. 

Mr.  Spencer  Baird  —  the  naturalist  intrusted  by  the 
American  Government  to  describe  the  fauna  of  their 
territory,  and  furnished  for  his  text  with  one  of  the 
most  splendid  collections  ever  made  —  in  speaking  of 
the  genus  ursus,  makes  the  following  remarks :  — 

"  The  species  of  bears  are  not  numerous,  nor  are 
they  to  be  found  except  in  the  temperate  regions  of  the 
northern  hemisphere.  North  America  possesses  more 
species  than  any  other  part  of  the  world,  having  at 
least  four,  and  perhaps  five." 

With  the  exception  of  the  very  idle  assertion  that 
"the  species  of  bears  are  not  numerous,"  every  idea 
put  forth  in  the  above  categorical  declaration  is  the  very 
reverse  of  what  is  true, 

Is  the  polar  bear  found  only  in  the  temperate  regions 
of  the  northern  hemisphere  ?  Is  the  ursus  arctos  of 
Europe  confined  to  these  limits  ?  Are  the  bears  of 
South  America  ?  —  the  sloth-bear  of  India  and  Ceylon  ? 
—  the  bruang  of  Borneo  ?  —  and  his  near  congener, 
the  bruang  of  Java  and  Sumatra?  Why,  these  last 
are  actually  dwellers  among  palm-trees  —  as  the  cocoa- 
planters  know  to  their  cost !  Even  Mr.  Baird's  own 
American  black  bear  is  not  so  "  temperate  "  in  his  hab 
its  ;  but  loves  the  half-tropical  climate  of  Florida  and 
Texas  quite  as  much  as  the  cold  declivities  of  the 
Alleghanies. 

And  how  does  North  America   possess  more  species 


NORTHWARD  !  207 

than  any  other  part  of  the  world?  Even  admitting  the 
doubtful  fifth,  on  the  continent  of  Asia,  there  are  six 
species  at  the  very  least ;  and,  if  we  are  allowed  to 
include  the  Oriental  islands,  we  make  eight  Asiatic. 
There  are  three  species  in  the  Himalaya  mountains 
alone  —  unquestionably  distinct,  dwelling  in  separate 
zones  of  altitude,  but  with  the  territory  of  all  three  visi 
ble  at  a  single  coup  d'ceil. 

Mr.  Baird  is  a  naturalist  of  great  celebrity  in  Amer 
ica.  He  is  a  secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution : 
he  should  make  better  use  of  the  books  which  its  fine 
library  can  afford  him. 

The  United  States  Government  is  extremely  unfor 
tunate  in  the  selection  of  its  scientific  employes  —  more 
especially  in  the  departments  of  natural  history.  Per 
haps  the  most  liberal  appropriation  ever  made  for  eth 
nological  purposes  —  that  for  collecting  a  complete  ac 
count  of  the  North  American  Indians  —  has  been  spent 
without  purpose,  the  "job"  having  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  a  "  placeman,"  or  "  old  hunker,"  as  the  Americans 
term  it  —  a  man  neither  learned  nor  intellectual.  With 
the  exception  of  the  statistics  furnished  by  Indian  agents, 
the  voluminous  work  of  Schoolcraft  is  absolutely  worth 
less  ;  and  students  of  ethnology  cannot  contemplate  such 
a  misappropriation  without  feelings  of  regret. 

Fortunately,  the  American  aboriginal  had  already 
found  a  true  portrayer  and  historian.  Private  enter 
prise,  as  is  not  unfrequently  the  case,  has  outstripped 
Government  patronage  in  the  performance  of  its  task. 
In  the  unpretending  volumes  of  George  Catlin  we  find 
the  most  complete  ethnological  monograph  ever  given  to 


208  BRUIN. 

the  world ;  but  just  for  that  reason,  Catlin,  not  School- 
craft,  should  have  been  chosen  for  ihe  "job." 

Knowing  the  range  of  the  black  bear  to  be  thus 
grandly  extended,  our  young  hunters  had  a  choice  of 
places  in  which  to  look  for  one;  but,  as  there  is  no 
place  where  these  animals  are  more  common  than  in 
Louisiana  itself,  they  concluded  that  they  could  not  do 
better  than  there  choose  their  hunting-ground.  In  the 
great  forests,  which  still  cover  a  large  portion  of  Louis 
iana,  and  especially  upon  the  banks  of  the  sluggish 
bayous,  where  the  marshy  soil  and  the  huge  cypress- 
trees,  festooned  with  Spanish  moss,  bid  defiance  to  all 
attempts  at  cultivation,  the  black  bear  still  roams  at  will. 
There  he  is  found  in  sufficient  numbers  to  insure  the 
procuring  of  a  specimen  without  much  difficulty. 

The  hunters  of  these  parts  have  various  modes  of 
capturing  him.  The  log-trap  is  a  common  plan  ;  but 
the  planters  enjoy  the  sport  of  running  him  down  with 
dogs  ;  or  rather  should  it  be  termed  running  him  up  ; 
since  the  chase  usually  ends  by  Bruin  taking  to  a  tree 
and  thus  unconsciously  putting  himself  within  reach  of 
the  unerring  rifle. 

It  was  by  this  means  that  our  young  hunters  deter 
mined  to  try  their  luck ;  and  they  had  no  difficulty  in 
procuring  the  necessary  adjuncts  to  insure  success.  The 
great  Czar,  powerful  everywhere,  was  not  without  his 
agent  at  New  Orleans.  From  him  a  letter  of  introduc 
tion  was  obtained  to  a  planter  living  on  one  of  the  inte 
rior  bayous;  and  our  heroes,  having  repaired  thither, 
were  at  once  set  in  train  for  the  sport  —  the  planter 
placing  himself,  his  house,  his  hounds,  and  his  horses  at 
their  disposal. 


THE   NORTHERN   FORESTS.  209 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

THE   NORTHERN   FORESTS. 

* 

ON  their  arrival,  the  hospitable  planter  sent  to'  his 
neighbors,  and  arranged  a  grand  hunt,  to  come  off  at  an 
early  clay,  specified  in  the  invitation.  Each  was  to  bring 
with  him  such  hounds  as  he  was  possessed  of —  and  in 
this  way  a  large  pack  might  be  got  together,  so  that 
a  wide  extent  of  forest  could  be  driven. 

Among  the  planters  of  the  Southern  States  this  is  a 
very  common  practice  :  only  a  few  of  them  keeping  what 
might  be  called  a  regular  kennel  of  hounds,  but  many 
of  them  having  five  or  six  couples.  In  a  neighborhood 
favorable  to  the  chase,  by  uniting  a  number  of  these  little 
bands  together,  a  pack  may  be  got  up  large  enough  for 
any  purpose. 

The  usual  game  hunted  in  the  Southern  States  is  the 
American  fallow-deer  (cervus  virginianus),  which  is  still 
found  in  considerable  plenty  in  the  more  solitary  tracts 
of  forest  all  over  the  United  States.  It  is  the  only  species 
of  deer  indigenous  to  Louisiana :  since  the  noble  stag 
or  "elk,"  as  he  is  erroneously  called  (cervus  canadensis), 
does  not  range  so  far  to  the  south.  On  the  Pacific  coast 
this  animal  is  found  in  much  lower  latitudes  than  on 
that  of  the  Atlantic. 

N 


210  BRUIN. 

Besides  the  fallow-deer,  the  fox  gives  sport  to  the 
Louisiana  hunter.  This  is  the  gray  fox  (yulpes  virgini- 
anus).  The  bay  lynx  also  —  or  wild-cat,  as  it  is  culled 
(lynx  ritfus)  —  and  now  and  then,  but  more  rarely,  the 
cougar  (jfelis  concolor),  give  the  hounds  a  run  before 
taking  to  the  tree. 

Raccoons,  opossums,  and  skunks  are  common  enough 
in  the  forests  of  Louisiana ;  but  these  are  regarded  as 
"  vermin,"  and  are  not  permitted  to  lead  the  dogs  astray. 

With  regard  to  the  other  animals  mentioned,  they 
all  rank  as  noble  game  —  especially  the  cougar,  called 
"  panther "  by  the  backwoodsman  —  and  the  pack  may 
follow  whichever  is  first  "  scared  up." 

The  grand  game,  however,  is  the  bear ;  and  the 
capture  of  Bruin  is  not  a  feat  of  every-day  occurrence. 
To  find  his  haunts  it  is  necessary  to  make  an  excursion 
into  the  more  unfrequented  and  inaccessible  solitudes  of 
the  forest  —  in  places  often  many  miles  from  a  settlement. 
Not  unfrequently,  however,  the  old  gentleman  wanders 
abroad  from  his  unknown  retreat,  and  seeks  the  planta 
tions  —  where  in  the  night-time  he  skulks  round  the 
edges  of  the  fields,  and  commits  serious  depredations  on 
the  young  maize  plants,  or  the  succulent  stalks  of  the 
sugar-cane,  of  which  he  is  immoderately  fond.  Like  his 
brown  congener  of  Europe  he  has  a  sweet  tooth,  and  is 
greatly  given  to  honey.  To  get  at  it  he  climbs  the  bee- 
trees,  and  robs  the  hive  of  its  stores.  In  all  these  re 
spects  he  is  like  the  brown  bear ;  but  otherwise  he  differs 
greatly  from  the  latter  species,  so  much  indeed,  that  it  is 
matter  of  surprise  how  any  naturalist  should  have  been 
led  to  regard  them  as  the  same. 


THE   NORTHERN   FORESTS.  211 

Not  only  in  color,  but  in  shape  and  other  respects,  are 
they  totally  unlike.  While  the  fur  of  the  brown  bear 
is  tossed  and  tufty  —  having  that  appearance  usually 
termed  shaggy  —  that  of  the  American  black  bear  is  of 
uniform  length,  and  all  lying,  or  rather  standing,  in  one 
direction,  presenting  a  smooth  surface  corresponding  to 
the  contour  of  his  body.  In  this  respect  he  is  far  more 
akin  to  the  bears  of  the  Asiatic  islands,  than  to  the  ursus 
arctos.  In  shape,  too,  he  differs  essentially  from  the 
latter.  His  body  is  more  slender,  his  muzzle  longer  and 
sharper,  and  his  profile  is  a  curve  with  its  convexity  up 
ward.  This  last  characteristic,  which  is  constant,  pro 
claims  him  indubitably  a  distinct  species  from  the  brown 
bear  of  Europe  ;  and  he  is  altogether  a  smaller  and 
more  mild-tempered  animal. 

As  the  grand  "chasse"  had  been  arranged  to  come 
off  on  the  third  day  after  their  arrival,  our  young  hunt 
ers  determined  to  employ  the  interval  in  ranging  the 
neighboring  woods  ;  not  with  any  expectation  of  finding 
a  bear  —  as  their  host  did  not  believe  there  was  any  so 
near  —  but  rather  for  the  purpose  of  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  character  of  the  North  American  sylva. 

That  of  South  America,  Alexis  had  carefully  observed 
and  studied  in  their  long  journey  across  that  continent. 
He  had  noted  the  grand  tropical  trees  —  the  palms  and 
pothos  plants  —  the  mimosas  and  musacece  —  the  mag 
nificent  forms  of  the  bombax  and  bertholletia —  the  curi 
ous  cecropias  and  fig-trees  —  the  giant  cedrelas  and  the 
gum-yielding  siphonias.  On  the  Andes  lie  had  observed 
the  agaves,  the  cycads,  and  cactaceae  —  all  strange  to 
the  eye  of  a  Russian.  He  was  now  desirous  of  making 


212  BRUIN. 

himself  familiar  with  the  forests  of  North  America ; 
which,  though  of  a  sub-tropical  character  in  Louisiana, 
contained  forms  altogether  different  from  those  of  the 
Amazonian  regions.  Here  he  would  meet  with  the 
famed  magnolia,  and  its  relative  the  tulip-tree  ;  the  ca- 
talpa  and  flowering  cornel,  the  giant  cypress  and  syca 
more,  the  evergreen  oak,  the  water-loving  tupelo,  and 
the  curious  fan-like  palmetto.  Of  these,  and  many  other 
beautiful  trees  belonging  to  the  North  American  sylva, 
Alexis  had  read  —  in  fact,  knew  them  botanically ;  but 
lie  wished  to  cultivate  a  still  pleasanter  acquaintance 
with  them,  by  visiting  them  in  their  own  native  home. 

For  this  purpose  he  and  Ivan  set  out  alone,  with  only 
a  negro  for  their  guide  ;  the  planter  being  engaged,  visit 
ing  liis  different  friends,  and  warning  them  for  the  grand 
hunt. 

Pouchskin  remained  behind.  He  had  been  left  at  the 
house  —  to  do  some  necessary  repairs  to  the  travelling 
traps  both  of  himself  and  his  young  masters,  which,  after 
their  long  South  American  expedition,  needed  looking 
to.  At  this  work  had  Pouchskin  been  left,  surrounded 
by  a  circle  of  grinning  darkies,  in  whose  company  the 
old  grenadier  would  find  material  to  interest  and  amuse 
him. 

It  was  only  for  a  stroll  that  our  young  hunters  had 
sallied  forth,  and  without  any  design  of  entering  upon 
the  chase  ;  but  they  had  become  so  accustomed  to  carry 
ing  their  guns  everywhere,  that  these  were  taken  along 
with  them.  Some  curious  bird  or  quadruped  might  be 
started  —  whose  fur  or  feathers  they  might  fancy  to 
make  an  examination  of.  For  that  reason,  both  shoul 
dered  their  guns. 


THE   LONE   LAGOON.  213 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

THE    LONE    LAGOON. 

THEY  were  soon  -beyond  the  bounds  of  the  plantation, 
and  walking  under  the  dark  majestic  woods — the  dar 
key  guiding  them  on  their  way.  They  had  heard  of  a 
curious  lake  or  lagoon,  that  lay  about  a  mile  from  the 
plantation.  There  they  would  be  likely  to  witness  a 
spectacle  characteristic  of  the  swamps  of  Louisiana  ;  and 
thither  they  directed  their  steps. 

Sure  enough,  on  arriving  at  the  borders  of  the  lagoon, 
a  singular  scene  was  presented  to  their  eyes.  The  whole 
surface  of  the  lake  appeared  alive  with  various  forms  of 
birds  and  reptiles.  Hundreds  of  alligators  were  seen, 
lying  like  dead  trees  upon  the  water,  their  corrugated 
backs  appearing  above  the  surface.  Most  of  them,  how 
ever,  were  in  motion,  swimming  to  and  fro,  or  darting 
rapidly  from  point  to  point,  as  if  in  pursuit  of  prey.  Now 
and  then  their  huge  tails  could  be  seen  curling  high  up 
in  air,  and  then  striking  down  upon  the  water,  causing 
a  concussion  that  echoed  far  through  the  forest.  At  in 
tervals  a  shining  object,  flung  upward  by  their  tails, 
could  be  seen  for  a  moment  in  the  air,  amidst  the  show 
ery  spray  that  was  raised  along  with  it.  It  was  easy  to 
see  that  the  glittering  forms  thus  projected  were  fishes, 


214  BRUIN. 

and  that  it  was  the  pursuit  of  these  that  was  causing  the 
commotion  among  the  huge  reptiles.  Aquatic  birds,  of 
a  great  number  of  kinds,  were  equally  busy  in  the  pur 
suit  of  the  fish.  Huge  pelicans  stood  up  to  their  tibia 
in  the  water  —  now  and  then  immersing  their  long  man 
dibles,  and  tossing  their  finny  victims  high  into  the  air. 
Cranes  and  herons  too  were  there  —  among  others  the 
tall  Louisiana  crane  —  conspicuous  among  the  smaller 
species  —  snow-white  egrets,  the  wood  ibis,  and  others 
of  white  and  roseate  hue  —  the  snake-darter,  with  long- 
pointed  beak  and  crouching  serpent-like  neck  —  the  qua- 
bird,  of  lugubrious  note  and  melancholy  aspect  —  and, 
fairest  of  all,  the  scarlet  flamingo. 

Other  birds  besides  those  of  aquatic  habits  took  part 
in  the  odd  spectacle.  Hovering  in  the  air  were  black 
vultures  —  the  carrion-crow  and  the  turkey-buzzard  — 
and  upon  the  tops. of  tall  dead  trees  could  be  seen  the 
king  of  the  feathered  multitude,  the  great  white-headed 
eagle.  His  congener,  the  ospray,  soared  craftily  above 

—  at  intervals  swooping  down,  and  striking  his  talons 
into  the  fish  which  the  alligators  had  tossed  into  the  air 

—  thus  robbing  the  reptiles  of  their  prey,  to  be  robbed  in 
turn  by  his  watchful  cousin-german  upon  the  tree. 

The  spectacle  was  far  from  being  a  silent  one:  on 
the  contrary,  the  confused  chorus  of  sounds  was  deafen 
ing  to  the  ears  of  the  spectators.  The  hoarse  bellowing 
of  the  alligators  —  the  concussions  made  by  their  great 
tails  striking  the  water  —  the  croaking  of  the  pelicans, 
and  the  clattering  of  their  huge  mandibles  —  the  doleful 
screaming  of  the  herons,  cranes,  and  qua-birds  —  the 
shrieks  of  the  ospray  —  and  the  shrill  maniac  laughter 


THE   LONE    LAGOON.  215 

of  the  white-headed  eagle,  piercing  through  all  other 
sounds  —  formed  a  medley  of  voices  as  unearthly  as  in 
harmonious. 

A  shot  from  the  gun  of  Ivan,  that  brought  down  a 
splendid  specimen  of  the  white-headed  eagle  —  together 
with  the  appearance  of  the  hunters  by  the  edge  of  the 
water  —  put  a  sudden  termination  to  this  grand  drama 
of  the  wilderness.  The  birds  flew  up  into  the  air,  and 
went  soaring  off  in  different  directions  over  the  tops  of 
the  tall  trees ;  while  the  huge  reptiles,  that  had  been 
taught  by  the  alligator-hunters  to  fear  the  presence  of 
man,  desisted  for  a  while  from  their  predatory  prey,  and 
retreated  to  the  reeds  upon  the  opposite  shore. 

The  spectacle  was  one  well  worthy  of  being  seen,  and 
one  that  cannot  be  witnessed  every  day  —  even  in  the 
swamps  of  Louisiana.  Its  occurrence  at  that  time  was 
accounted  for  by  the  drying  up  of  the  lake,  which  left  the 
fish  at  the  mercy  of  their  numerous  enemies. 

Having  taken  up  the  eagle  which  Ivan  had  shot,  the 
young  hunters  continued  their  excursion  along  the  edge 
of  the  lagoon. 

They  had  not  gone  far  when  they  came  upon  a  bank 
of  mud,  that  had  formerly  been  covered  with  water.  So 
recently  had  the  water  dried  from  it,  that,  in  spite  of  the 
hot  sun  shining  down  upon  it,  the  mud  \vas  still  soft. 
They  had  not  gone  many  steps  further,  when  they  per 
ceived  upon  its  surface,  what  at  first  they  supposed  to  be 
the  tracks  of  a  man.  On  getting  a  little  closer,  however, 
they  doubted  this ;  and,  now  recollecting  the  resemblance 
which  they  had  noticed  in  the  snows  of  Lapland  —  be 
tween  the  footsteps  of  a  human  being  and  those  of  a  bear 


216 


BRUIN. 


—  it  occurred  to  them  that  these  might  also  be  bear- 
tracks  —  though  they  knew  that  the  tracks  of  the  Amer 
ican  bear  would  be  slightly  different  from  those  of  his 
European  cousin. 

To  satisfy  themselves,  they  hastened  forward  to  ex 
amine  the  tracks ;  but  their  negro  guide  had  anticipated 
them,  and  now  called  out,  with  the  whites  of  his  eyes 
considerably  enlarged,  — 

"  Golly,  young  mass'rs  !  dat  be  de  tracks  ob  urn  ba  ! " 

"  A  bear  !  " 

"  Ya,  ya,  mass'rs  !  a  big  ba  —  dis  child  know  um  track 

—  see'd  um  many  de  time  —  de  ole  coon  he  be  arter  de 
fish  too  —  all  ob  dem  adoin'  a  bit  ob  fishiu'  dis  mornin' 

—  yaw,  yaw,  yaw !  " 

And  the  darkey  laughed  at  what  he  appeared  to  con 
sider  an  excellent  joke. 

On  closely  scrutinizing  the  tracks,  Alexis  and  Ivan 
saw  that  they  were  in  reality  the  tracks  of  a  bear  — 
though  much  smaller  than  those  they  had  followed  in 
Lapland.  They  were  quite  fresh  —  in  fact,  so  recently 
did  they  appear  to  have  been  made,  that  both  at  the  same 
time,  and  by  an  involuntary  impulse,  raised  their  eyes 
from  the  ground  and  glanced  around  them  ;  as  if  ~they 
expected  to  see  the  bear  himself. 

No  such  animal  was  in  sight,  however.  It  was  quite 
probable  he  had  been  on  the  ground,  at  their  first  coming 
up  to  the  lake ;  but  the  report  of  Ivan's  gun  had  alarmed 
him,  and  he  had  made  off  into  the  woods.  This  was 
quite  probable. 

"  What  a  pity,"  reflected  Ivan,  "  that  I  did  n't  leave 
the  eagle  alone !  We  might  have  got  a  sight  of  Master 


THE   LONE   LAGOON.  217 

Bruin,  and  given  him  the  shot  instead.  And  now," 
added  he,  "  what 's  to  be  done  ?  There  's  no  snow,  — 
therefore  we  can't  track  the  brute.  The  mud-bank  ends 
here,  and  he 's  gone  off  it,  the  way  he  came.  Of  course 
he  wouldn't  be  out  yonder  among  those  logs.  Ho 
would  n't  have  taken  shelter  there,  would  he  ?  " 

As  Ivan  spoke,  he  pointed  to  a  little  peninsula  that 
jutted  out  into  the  lake,  some  twenty  or  thirty  yards 
beyond  the  spot  where  they  were  standing.  It  was  joined 
to  the  mainland  by  a  narrow  neck  or  isthmus  of  mud ; 
but  at  the  end  towards  the  water  there  was  a  space  of 
several  yards  covered  with  dead  trees  —  that  had  been 
floated  thither  in  the  floods^  and  now  lay  high  and  dry, 
piled  irregularly  upon  one  another. 

Alexis  looked  in  the  direction  of  this  pile  as  Ivan 
pointed  it  out. 

"  I  'm  not  so  sure  of  that,"  he  answered,  after  scruti 
nizing  the  logs.  "  It 's  a  likely  enough  place  for  an 
animal  to  lurk.  He  might  be  there." 

"  Let  us  go  and  see,  then  ! "  said  Ivan,  "  If  he 's 
there  he  can't  escape  us,  without  our  having  a  shot  at 
him ;  and  you  say  that  these  American  bears  are  much 
easier  killed  than  ours.  The  South  Americans  were  so, 
certainly.  I  hope  their  northern  brothers  may  die  as 
easy." 

"  Not  all,"  rejoined  Alexis.  "  We  may  expect  some 
tough  struggles  when  we  come  to  the  great  grisly,  and  to 
him  of  the  polar  regions ;  but  the  black  bears  are,  as 
you  conjecture,  not  so  difficult  to  deal  with.  If  wound 
ed,  however,  they  will  show  fight ;  and  though  their  teeth 
and  claws  are  less  dangerous  than  the  others,  they  can 
10 


218  BRUIN. 

give  a  man  a  most  uncomfortable  hug,  I  have  heard. 
But  let  us  go,  as  you  say.  If  not  yonder,  he  must  have 
taken  to  the  woods.  In  that  case  there  is  no  way  of 
following  him  up,  except  by  dogs  ;  and  for  these  we  must 
go  back  to  the  house." 

As  they  continued  talking,  they  advanced  towards  the 
narrow  isthmus  that  connected  the  little  peninsula  with 
the  mainland. 

"  What  a  pity,"  remarked  Ivan,  "  that  that  great  log 
is  there  !  But  for  it  we  might  have  seen  his  track  in  the 
mud  crossing  over." 

Ivan  referred  to  a  prostrate  trunk  that  traversed  the 
isthmus  longitudinally  —  extending  from  the  mainland  to 
the  higher  ground  of  the  peninsula,  to  which  it  formed  a 
kind  of  bridge  or  causeway.  Certainly,  had  it  not  been 
there,  either  the  bear's  tracks  would  have  been  seen  in 
the  mud  or  not ;  and  if  not,  then  no  bear  could  have 
passed  over  to  the  peninsula,  and  their  exploration  would 
have  been  unnecessary.  But,  although  they  saw  no 
tracks,  they  had  started  to  examine  the  wood-pile ;  and 
they  continued  on,  climbing  up  to  the  log,  and  walking 
along  its  top. 

All  at  once,  Alexis  was  seen  to  pause  and  bend  his 
body  forward  and  downward. 

"  What  is  it  ? "  inquired  Ivan,  who  was  behind,  on 
seeing  his  brother  in  the  bent  attitude,  as  if  he  looked  at 
something  on  the  log. 

"  The  bear's  tracks  ! "  answered  Alexis,  in  a  low  but 
earnest  tone. 

"Ha!  you  think  so?     Where?" 

Alexis   pointed  to  the  dead-wood  under  his  eyes  — 


THE   LONE    LAGOON.  219 

upon  the  bark  of  which  were  visible,  not  the  tracks  of  a 
bear,  but  dabs  of  mud,  that  must  have  been  recently 
deposited  there,  either  by  the  feet  of  a  bear  or  some 
other  animal. 

"  By  the  Great  Peter !  "  said  Ivan,  speaking  cautious 
ly,  notwithstanding  his  innocent  adjuration ;  "  that  must 
be  his  tracks  ?  It 's  the  same  sort  of  mud  as  that  in 
which  we  've  just  been  tracing  him  —  black  as  ink  near 
ly.  It  has  come  off  his  great  paws  —  not  a  doubt  of  it, 
brother  ?  " 

"I  think  it  is  likely,"  assented  Alexis,  at  the  same 
time  that  both  looked  to  the  locks  of  their  guns,  and  saw 
that  the  caps  were  on  the  nipples. 

A  little  further  along  the  log,  the  bark  was  smoother, 
and  there  the  track  was  still  more  conspicuous.  The 
print  was  better  defined,  and  answered  well  for  the  foot 
mark  of  a  bear.  There  was  the  naked  paw,  and  the 
balls  of  the  five  toes,  all  complete.  They  no  longer 
doubted  that  it  was  the  track  of  a  bear. 

It  was  just  a  question  whether  the  animal  had  gone 
over  the  log  and  returned  again.  But  this  was  set  at 
rest,  or  nearly  so,  by  a  closer  scrutiny.  There  was  no 
sign  of  a  return  track.  True,  he  might  have  washed  his 
paws  in  the  interval,  or  cleaned  them  on  the  dead-wood  ; 
but  that  was  scarce  probable,  and  our  hunters  did  not 
think  so.  They  felt  perfectly  sure  that  the  bear  was 
before  them ;  and,  acting  upon  this  belief,  they  cocked 
their  guns,  and  continued  their  approach  towards  the 
wood-pile. 


220  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XL. 

A    DARKEY    ON    BEAR-BACK. 

BOTH  the  young  hunters  succeeded  in  passing  over 
the  log,  and  had  set  foot  on  the  peninsula ;  while  the 
negro,  who  was  following  a  little  behind,  was  still  upon 
the  prostrate  trunk.  Just  at  that  moment  a  noise  was 
heard  —  very  similar  to  that  made  by  a  pig  when  sud 
denly  started  from  its  bed  of  straw  —  a  sort  of  half 
snort,  half  grunt ;  and  along  with  the  noise  a  huge  black 
body  was  seen  springing  up  from  under  the  loose  pile  of 
dead  trees,  causing  several  of  them  to  shake  and  rattle 
under  its  weight.  Our  hunters  saw  at  a  glance  that  it 
was  the  bear ;  and  levelled  their  guns  upon  it  with  the 
intention  of  firing. 

The  animal  had  reared  itself  on  its  hind  legs  —  as  if 
to  reconnoitre  the  ground  —  and  while  in  this  attitude 
both  the  hunters  had  sighted  it,  and  were  on  the  eve  of 
pulling  their  triggers.  Before  they  could  do  so,  however, 
the  bear  dropped  back  on  all-fours.  So  sudden  was  the 
movement,  that  the  aim  of  both  was  quite  disconcerted, 
and  they  both  lowered  their  guns  to  get  a  fresh  one.  The 
delay,  however,  proved  fatal  to  their  intention.  Before 
either  had  got  a  satisfactory  sight  upon  the  body  of  the  bear, 
the  latter  sprang  forward  with  a  fierce  growl,  and  rushed 


_x 


A   DARKEY    ON   BEAR-BACK.  221 

right  between  the  two,  so  near  that  it  was  impossible 
for  either  of  them  to  fire  otherwise  than  at  random.  Ivan 
did  fire,  but  to  no  purpose ;  for  his  bullet  went  quite  wide 
of  the  bear,  striking  the  log  behind  it,  and  causing  the 
bark  to  splinter  out  in  all  directions.  The  bear  made  no 
attempt  to  charge  towards  them,  but  rushed  straight  on 

—  evidently  with  no  other  design  than  to  make  his  es 
cape  to  the  woods.     Alexis  wheeled  round  to  fire  after 
him  ;  but,  as  he  was  raising  his  gun,  his  eye  fell  upon 
the  negro,  who  was  coming  on  over  the  log,  and  who  had 
just  got  about  half-way  across  it.     The  bear  had  by  this 
time  leaped  up  on  the  other  end,  and  in  a  hurried  gallop 

—  that  had   been  quickened   by  the   report   of  Ivan's 
piece  —  was  going  right  in  the  opposite  direction.     The 
negro,  who    saw   the  huge   shaggy   quadruped   coming 
straight  towards  him,  at  once  set  up  a  loud  "  hulla-ballo," 
and,  with  his  eyes  almost  starting  from  their  sockets,  was 
endeavoring  to  retreat  backwards,  and  get  out  of  the  way. 

His  efforts  proved  fruitless :  for  before  he  had  made 
three  steps  to  the  rear,  the  bear  —  more  frightened  at  the 
two  adversaries  behind  him  than  the  one  in  front  — 
rushed  right  on,  and  in  the  next  instant  pushed  his 
snout,  head,  and  neck  between  the  darkey's  legs ! 

Long  before  this  the  negro  had  lost  his  senses,  but 
now  came  the  loss  of  his  legs :  for  as  the  thick  body  of 
the  bear  passed  between  them,  both  were  lifted  clear  up 
from  the  log,  and  hung  dangling  in  the  air.  For  several 
feet  along  the  log  was  the  negro  carried  upon  the  bear's 
back,  his  face  turned  to  the  tail ;  and  no  doubt,  had  he 
preserved  his  equilibrium,  he  might  have  continued  his 
ride  Yor  some  distance  further.  But  as  the  darkey  had 


222  BRUIN. 

no  desire  for  such  a  feat  of  equestrianism,  he  kept  strug 
gling  to  clear  himself  from  his  involuntary  mount.  His 
body  was  at  length  thrown  heavily  to  one  side,  and  its 
weight  acting  like  a  lever  upon  the  bear,  caused  the  lat 
ter  to  lose  his  balance,  and  tumbling  off  the  log,  both 
man  and  bear  fell  "  slap-dash "  into  the  mud. 

For  a  moment  there  was  a  confused  scrambling  and 
spattering,  and  splashing,  through  the  soft  mire  —  a 
growling  on  the  part  of  the  bear,  and  the  wildest  screech 
ing  from  the  throat  of  the  affrighted  negro  —  all  of  which 
came  to  an  end  by  Bruin  —  whose  body  was  now  be 
daubed  all  over  with  black  mud  —  once  more  regaining 
his  feet,  and  shuffling  off  up  the  bank,  as  fast  as  his  legs 
could  carry  him. 

Alexis  now  fired,  and  hit  the  bear  behind ;  but  the 
shot,  so  far  from  staying  his  flight,  only  quickened  his 
pace;  and  before  the  darkey  had  got  to  his  feet,  the 
shaggy  brute  had  loped  off  among  the  trees,  and  dis 
appeared  from  the  sight  of  everybody  upon  the  ground. 

The  grotesque  appearance  of  the  negro,  as  he  rose  out 
of  the  mire  in  which  he  had  been  wallowing,  coated  all 
over  with  black  mud  —  which  was  a  shade  lighter  than 
his  natural  hue  —  was  too  ludicrous  for  Ivan  to  resist 
laughing  at ;  and  even  the  more  serious  Alexis  was  com 
pelled  to  give  way  to  mirth.  So  overcome  were  both, 
tha-t  it  was  some  minutes  before  they  thought  of  reloading 
their  guns,  and  giving  chase  to  the  bear. 

After  a  time,  however,  they  charged  again ;  and  cross 
ing  back  over  the  log,  proceeded  in  the  direction  in  which 
Bruin  had  made  his  retreat. 

They  had  no  idea  of  being  able  to  follow  him  without 


A   DARKEY    ON   BEAR-BACK.  223 

dogs ;  and  it  was  their  intention  to  send  for  one  or  two  to 
the  house,  when  they  perceived  that  the  bear's  trace  could 
be  made  out  —  at  least,  for  some  distance  —  without  them. 
The  inky  water,  that  had  copiously  saturated  his  long  fur, 
had  been  constantly  dripping  as  he  trotted  onward  in  his 
flight;  and  this  could  easily  be  seen  upon  the  herbage 
over  which  he  had  passed. 

They  determined,  therefore,  to  follow  this  trail  as  far 
as  they  could ;  and  when  it  should  give  out,  it  would  be 
lime  enough  to  send  for  the  dogs. 

They  had  not  proceeded  more  than  a  hundred  yards ; 
when  all  at  once  the  trail  trended  up  to  the  bottom  of  a 
big  tree.  They  might  have  examined  the  ground  fur 
ther,  but  there  was  no  need ;  for,  on  looking  up  to  the 
trunk,  they  perceived  large  blotches  of  mud,  and  several 
scratches  upon  the  bark,  evidently  made  by  the  claws  of 
a  bear.  These  scratches  were,  most  of  them,  of  old 
date ;  but  there  were  one  or  two  of  them  quite  freshly 
done ;  besides,  the  wet  mud  was  of  itself  sufficient  proof 
that  the  bear  had  gone  up  the  tree,  and  must  still  be 
somewhere  in  its  top.  The  tree  was  a  sycamore,  and 
therefore  only  sparsely  covered  with  leaves  ;  but  from  its 
branches  hung  long  festoons  of  Spanish  moss  (tiUandsia 
usneoides),  that  grew  in  large  bunches  in  the  forks  —  in 
several  of  which  it  was  possible  even  for  a  bear  to  have 
stowed  himself  away  in  concealment. 

After  going  round  the  tree,  however,  and  viewin-g  it 
from  all  sides,  our  hunters  perceived  that  the  bear  was 
not  anywhere  among  the  moss;  but  must  have  taken 
refuge  in  a  hollow  in  the  trunk  —  the  mouth  of  which 
could  be  seen  only  from  one  particular  place;  since  it 


224  BRUIN. 

was  hidden  on  all  other  sides  by  two  great  limbs  that  led 
out  from  it,  and  between  which  the  cavity  had  been 
formed  by  the  decaying  of  the  heart-wood. 

There  could  be  no  doubt  that  Bruin  had  entered  this 
tree-cave;  for  all  around  the  aperture  the  bark  was 
scraped  and  worn;  and  the  wet  inud,  lately  deposited 
there,  'was  visible  from  below. 


CUTTING    OUT   THE   BEAR.  225 


CHAPTER    XLI. 

CUTTING    OUT   THE   BEAR. 

THE  question  was,  how  he  was  to  be  got  out  ?  Per 
haps  by  making  a  noise  he  might  issue  forth? 

This  plan  was  at  once  tried,  but  without  success. 
While  the  negro  rasped  the  bark  with  a  pole,  and  struck 
the  stick  at  intervals  against  the  trunk,  the  hunters  stood, 
with  guns  cocked,  watching  the  hole,  and  ready  to  give 
the  bear  a  reception,  the  moment  he  should  show  himself 
outside. 

It  was  all  to  no  purpose.  Bruin  was  too  cunning  for 
them,  and  did  not  protrude  even  the  tip  of  his  snout  out 
of  his  secure  cavity. 

After  continuing  the  rasping,  and  repeating  the  blows, 
till  the  woods  echoed  the  sonorous  concussions,  they  be 
came  convinced  that  this  plan  would  not  serve  their  pur 
pose,  and  desisted  from  it. 

On  examining  the  track  more  closely,  they  now  per 
ceived  spots  of  blood  mixed  among  the  mud  which  the 
bear  had  rubbed  off  upon  the  bark.  This  convinced 
them  that  the  animal  was  wounded,  and  therefore  there 
would  be  no  chance  of  starting  him  out  from  his  hole. 
It  was  no  doubt  the  wound  that  had  led  him  to  retreat  to 
this  tree,  so  near  the  place  where  he  had  been  attacked, 
10*  o 


226  BRUIN. 

otherwise  he  would  have  led  them  a  longer  chase  through 
the  woods  before  attempting  to  hide  himself.  When 
severely  wounded,  the  black  bear  betakes  himself  to  the 
first  hollow  log  or  tree  he  can  find ;  and  taking  refuge  in 
it,  will  there  remain  —  even  to  die  in  his  den,  if  the 
wound  has  been  a  fatal  one. 

Knowing  thi-s  habit  of  the  animal,  our  hunters  per 
ceived  that  they  had  no  chance  of  again  setting  their 
eyes  upon  the  bear,  except  by  cutting  down  the  tree; 
and  they  resolved  to  adopt  this  method,  and  fell  the  great 
sycamore  to  the  ground. 

The  darkey  was  despatched  to  the  plantation;  and 
soon  returned  with  half  a  dozen  of  his  brethren,  armed 
with  axes  —  Pouchskin  heading  the  sable  band.  "With 
out  further  delay  the  chopping  began ;  and  the  white 
chips  flew  out  from  the  great  trunk  in  all  directions. 

In  about  an  hour's  time  the  sycamore  came  crashing 
down,  carrying  a  number  of  smaller  trees  along  with  it. 
The  hunters,  who  expected  that  the  bear  would  at  once 
spring  forth,  had  taken  their  position  to  cover  the  mouth 
of  the  cavity  with  their  guns ;  but,  to  their  surprise,  the 
tree  fell,  and  lay  as  it  had  fallen,  without  any  signs  of 
Bruin.  This  was  strange  enough ;  for,  as  the  negroes 
alleged,  in  all  similar  cases  the  bear  is  certain  to  charge 
out  upon  the  fall  of  a  tree  that  contains  him ! 

A  sapling  was  now  obtained,  arid  inserted  into  the 
cavity  —  at  first  with  caution,  but  after  a  time  it  was 
punched  in  with  all  the  force  that  Pouchskin  could  put 
into  his  arm.  He  could  feel  the  bear  quite  distinctly ; 
but  poke  the  animal  as  he  might,  it  would  not  stir. 

It  was  suggested  that  they  should  cut  into  the  trunk 


CUTTING  OUT  THE  BEAR.  227 

—  at  a  place  opposite  to  where  the  bear  was  encased  — 
and  then  they  could  drag  him  out  at  will ;  and,  although 
this  would  cost  a  good  deal  of  trouble,  it  appeared  to  be 
the  only  mode  of  reaching  the  obstinate  animal. 

This  course  was  followed,  therefore ;  and  a  cross  sec 
tion  o^lfeg  made  of  the  hollow  trunk,  the  shaggy  hair  was 
at  length  reached  and  then  the  body  of  Bruin,  who  was 
found  to  be  dead  as  a  nail ! 

They  no  longer  wondered  that  he  had  paid  no  heed  to 
the  punching  of  the  pole.  The  bullet  of  Alexis  had 
traversed  his  huge  body  in  a  longitudinal  direction,  until 
it  had  lodged  in  a  vital  part,  and,  of  course,  it  was  this 
that  had  deprived  him  of  life.  He  would,  therefore, 
have  died  all  the  same,  and  in  his  tree-den,  too,  whether 
they  had  pursued  him  or  not. 

Our  hunters  learnt  from  their  negro  assistants  a  singu 
lar  fact  in  relation  to  the  black  bear  :  and  that  is,  that 
the  tree-cavity  in  which  the  animal  often  takes  shelter, 
or  goes  to  sleep,  is  rarely  of  greater  width  than  his  own 
body  !  In  most  cases  it  is  so  narrow,  that  he  cannot  turn 
round  in  it,  nor  has  it  any  lair  at  the  bottom  wide  enough 
for  him  to  he  down  upon.  It  follows,  therefore,  that  he 
must  sleep  in  a  standing  position,  or  squatted  upon  his 
hams.  It  is  in  this  attitude  he  makes  his  descent  into 
the  cavity,  and  in  the  same  way  comes  down  the  trunk 
of  the  tree,  when  at  any  time  making  his  departure  from 
his  den.  From  this  it  would  appear  that  the  upright 
attitude  is  as  natural  to  this  animal,  as  that  of  resting 
on  all-fours,  or  even  lying  prostrate  on  the  ground  ;  for 
it  is  well  known  that,  farther  to  the  north  —  where  the 
winters  are  more  severe,  and  where  the  black  bear  hy- 


228  BRUIN. 

bernates  for  a  short  season  —  he  often  takes  his  nap  in  a 
tree-cavity,  which  his  body  completely  fills,  without  the 
possibility  of  his  turning  round  in  it !  One  precaution 
he  takes,  and  that  is  to  scrape  off  all  the  rotten  wood 
around  the  sides  of  the  cavity  ;  but  for  what  purpose  he 
exercises  this  curious  instinct,  neither  hunter  nor^atural- 
ist  can  tell.  Perhaps  it  is  that  the  projections  may  not 
press  against  his  body,  and  thus  render  his  couch  uncom 
fortable  ? 

Our  young  hunters  found  this  bear  one  of  the  largest 
of  his  species,  and  his  skin,  after  the  mud  had  been 
washed  off,  proved  to  be  an  excellent  specimen. 

Of  course,  they  coveted  no  other ;  but  for.  all  that, 
they  had  the  pleasure  of  being  present  at  the  death  of 
several  bears,  killed  in  the  great  hunt  that  came  off  on 
the  appointed  day. 

A  deer-chase  was  also  got  up  for  their  special  en 
tertainment —  during  which  a  cougar  was  "treed"  and 
killed  —  an  event  of  rarer  occurrence  than  even  the  death 
of  a  bear ;  for  the  cougar  is  now  one  of  the  scarcest  quad 
rupeds  to  be  met  with  in  the  forests  of  North  America. 

Another  entertainment  which  the  planter  provided 
for  his  guests  was  a  "  barbecue  "  —  a  species  of  festival 
peculiar  to  the  backwoods  of  America,  and  which,  on 
account  of  its  peculiarity,  deserves  a  word  or  two  of 
description. 


THE  SQUATTER'S  BARGAIN.  229 


CHAPTER   XLII. 

THE  SQUATTER'S  BARGAIN. 

As  we  have  just  said,  the  barbecue  is  a  festival  which 
especially  belongs  to  the  backwoods  settlements,  although 
it  has  now  become  known  even  in  the  older  States,  and 
often  forms  a  feature  in  the  great  political  meetings  of  an 
election  campaign  —  losing,  however,  much  of  its  true 
character  in  the  elaborate  adornments  and  improvements 
sometimes  bestowed  upon  it. 

When  Alexis  and  Ivan  strolled  down  in  the  early 
morning  to  the  quiet  glade  which  had  been  selected  as 
the  scene  of  this  rural  festivity,  they  found  there  a  noisy 
and  bustling  crowd.  A  monstrous  fire  of  logs,  enough 
to  roast  not  only  a  single  ox,  but  a  hecatomb  of  oxen, 
was  blazing  near  the  edge  of  the  glade,  while  a  half- 
dozen  chattering  negroes  were  busy  digging  a  great  pit 
close  by.  This  pit  when  entirely  excavated,  measured 
some  ten  or  twelve  feet  in  length,  by  five  or  six  in  width, 
and  perhaps  three  in  depth ;  and  was  lined  with  smooth 
flat  stones.  As  soon  as  the  logs  had  ceased  to  flame  and 
smoke,  and  were  fast  falling  into  a  mighty  heap  of  glow 
ing  ruddy  coals,  they  were  shovelled  hastily  into  the  pit. 
Another  party  of  negroes  had  been  busy  in  the  woods, 
searching  out  the  tall  slender  saplings  of  the  pawpaw 


230  BRUIN. 

(asimina  triloba),  and  now  returned,  bringing  their  spoil 
with  them.  The  saplings  were  laid  across  the  top  of  the 
pit,  thus  extemporizing  over  it  a  huge  gridiron.  The  ox, 
which  was  to  form  the  staple  of  the  day's  feast,  had  been 
killed  and  dressed  ;  and  having  been  split  in  halves  after 
the  fashion  of  the  barbecue  was  laid  upon  the  bars  to 
roast.  Proudly  presiding  over  the  operation  was  the 
major-domo  of  the  planter's  household,  assisted  by  several 
celebrated  cooks  of  the  neighborhood,  and  a  score  of 
chosen  farm-hands,  whose  strength  was  ever  and  anon 
invoked  to  turn  the  beef  ;  while  the  chef  ordered  a  fresh 
basting,  or  himself  sprinkled  the  browning  surface  with 
the  savory  dressing  of  pepper,  salt,  and  fine  herbs,,  for 
the  composition  of  which  he  had  attained  a  grand  repu 
tation. 

The  morning  wore  swiftly  on  in  the  observation  of 
these  novel  manoeuvres  ;  and  with  the  noon  came  the 
guests  in  numbers  from  the  neighboring  plantations  and 
settlements.  Even  the  determined  resistance  of  the 
toughest  beef  must  have  failed  before  the  hot  attack 
of  such  an  army  of  live  coals,  as  had  lain  intrenched 
in  the  deep  fireplace ;  and  the  tender  joints  of  the 
enormous  bceuf  roti  were  ready  to  bear  their  share 
in  the  festivities  almost  as  soon  as  the  invited  com 
pany.  Separated  with  great  cleavers,  and  laid  into 
white  buttonwood  trays  hollowed  out  for  the  purpose, 
they  were  borne  rapidly  to  the  shady  nook  selected  for 
the  dining-place,  followed  by  vast  supplies  of  sweet 
potatoes,  roasted  in  the  ashes,  and  of  rich,  golden,  maize, 
bread.  A  barrel  of  rare  cider  was  broached;  while 
good  old-fashioned  puddings,  and  the  luscious  fruits  of 


THE  SQUATTER'S  BARGAIN.  231 

the  region  completed  the  bill  of  fare  in  honor  of  the 
day.  Of  course  "joy  was  unconfined."  Everybody  pro 
nounced  the  roast  a  grand  success ;  and  the  young 
Russians  thought  that  they  had  never  tasted  so  appe 
tizing  a  meal.  With  the  exhilaration  of  the  fresh,  clear 
air,  the  encouragement  of  hearty  appetite,  and  the  full 
flavor  of  the  meat  —  for  it  is  well  known  that  the  sap 
which  exudes  from  the  pawpaw,  when  thus  exposed  to 
fire,  adds  a  new  relish  to  whatever  is  cooked  upon 
it  —  combined  to  make  a  dinner  fit  for  the  Czar  him 
self;  and  they  determined  to  attempt,  at  some  time,  an 
imitation  of  the  southern  barbecue  under  the  colder 
sky  of  Russia. 

Merriment  was  unbounded ;  healths  were  drunk,  songs 
sung,  odd  speeches  made,  and  stories  told. 

One  of  the  last,  in  particular,  made  an  impression 
upon  our  heroes  ;  partly,  because  it  was  a  bear  story, 
and  partly  because  it  illustrated  a  very  characteristic 
phase  of  squatter  life  and  practical  humor.  In  fact, 
Alexis  made  a  sketch  of  it  in  his  journal,  and  from 
his  notes  we  now  reconstruct  it. 

Two  squatters  had  occupied  lands  not  far  from  each 
other,  and  within  some  eight  or  ten  miles  of  a  small  town. 
Busied  in  clearing  off  the  woodland,  each  bethought 
himself  of  a  source  of  revenue  beyond  the  produce  of 
his  tilled  ground.  He  would  occupy  an  occasional 
leisure  day  in  hauling  to  the  town,  the  logs  which  he 
cut  from  time  to  time,  and  then  selling  them  as  fire 
wood.  This  unity  of  purpose  naturally  brought  the  two 
men  into  competition  with  one  another  for  the  limited 
custom  of  the  settlement ;  and  a  rivalry  sprang  up  be- 


232  BKUIX. 

tween  them,  which  was  fast  ripening  into  jealousy  and 
ill-will,  when  a  curious  coincidence  occurred. 

Each  owned  a  single  yoke  of  oxen,  which  he  used 
regularly  in  his  farm  labor,  and  also  in  dragging  his  wood 
to  market.  Within  a  week  each  lost  an  ox ;  one  dying 
of  some  bovine  distemper,  —  the  other  being  so  injured 
by  the  fall  of  a  tree,  that  his  owner  had  been  obliged 
to  kill  him. 

As  one  ox  could  not  draw  a  wood-wagon,  the  occu 
pation  of  both  squatters  as  wood-merchants  was  gone  — 
and  even  farm  operations  were  likely  to  suffer.  Each 
soon  heard  of  his  neighbor's  predicament ;  and  proposed 
to  himself  to  make  a  bargain  for  the  remaining  ox, 
that  he  might  be  the  possessor  of  the  pair,  continue 
his  clearing  prosperously,  and  command  the  wood- 
hauling  business.  But,  as  one  might  suppose,  where 
both  parties  were  so  fully  bent  upon  accomplishing  their 
own  ends,  the  trade  was  no  nearer  a  conclusion  when  a 
dozen  negotiations  had  taken  place  than  at  first.  So 
matters  stood  in  statu  quo,  the  days  rolled  by,  and  our 
two  squatters  found  their  condition  waxing  desperate. 

One  fine  morning,  squatter  the  first  started  off  to 
make  a  last  attempt  —  determined  to  close  the  bargain 
peaceably  if  he  could,  forcibly  if  he  must.  Revolving 
project  upon  project  in  his  mind,  he  had  traversed  the 
two  or  three  miles  of  woodland  which  lay  between  him 
and  his  neighbor's  clearing,  and  was  just  entering  it, 
when  a  sudden  rustle  and  significant  growl  coming  from 
behind  broke  in  upon  his  reverie.  Turning  hastily,  he 
eaw  almost  at  his  heels  a  bear  of  the  most  unprepossess 
ing  aspect.  To  reach  the  cabin  before  Bruin  could  over- 


THE  SQUATTER'S  BARGAIN.  233 

take  him  was  impossible ;  and  to  turn  upon  the  creature 
would  be  folly :  for,  in  the  depth  of  his  deliberation,  he 
had  forgotten  on  leaving  home  to  take  any  kind  of  weap 
on  with  him.  Some  dead  trees  had  been  left  standing 
in  the  field,  and  to  one  of  these  he  sped  with  flying  steps, 
hoping  to  find  shelter  behind  it  till  help  could  come.  He 
did  not  hope  in  vain  for  this  protection.  He  found  that 
by  pretty  active  dodging  he  could  keep  the  trunk  of  the 
tree  between  himself  and  the  bear  —  whose  brain  could 
hardly  follow  the  numerous  shifts  made  by  the  squatter 
to  escape  the  frequent  clutches  of  his  claws.  Rising  in 
dignantly  upon  his  hind  legs,  the  bear  made  a  fierce  rush 
at  the  squatter,  but  hugged  only  the  tough  old  tree,  in 
whose  bark  he  buried  deep  his  pointed  claws.  An  in 
spiration  flashed  through  the  squatter's  mind,  as  he  saw 
the  bear  slowly  and  with  some  difficulty  dragging  out  his 
nails ;  and  seizing  Bruin's  shanks  just  above  the  paws,  he 
braced  himself  against  the  tree,  resolved  to  try  and  hold 
the  claws  into  their  woody  sockets  until  his  neighbor 
could  respond  to  his  halloos  for  help. 

The  other  squatter  heard  his  cries;  but  instead  of 
hastening  to  the  rescue,  he  came  slowly  along,  carelessly 
shouldering  his  axe.  Perceiving  his  neighbor's  diffi 
culty,  a  new  solution  of  the  ox  question  had  entered 
his  mind ;  and  to  the  redoubled  appeals  for  assistance, 
he  calmly  replied  — 

"  One  one  condition,  neighbor  !  " 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  anxiously  inquired  the  other. 

"  If  I  let  you  loose  from  the  bar,  you  '11  gi'  me  up  your 
odd  steer." 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  and  with  a  heavy  sigh,  the 


234  BRUIN. 

prisoner  consented.  "  Stop ! "  cried  he,  ere  the  axe 
could  fall ;  "  this  old  brute  has  half  plagued  the  life  out 
o'  me,  and  I  'd  like  nothing  better  'n  the  satisfaction  o' 
killin"  him  myself.  Jest  you  ketch  hold  here,  and  let  me 
give  him  his  death-blow." 

The  second  squatter,  rejoicing  beyond  measure  at  hav 
ing  accomplished  his  long-desired  purpose,  unsuspiciously 
agreed,  dropped  the  axe,  cautiously  grasped  the  sinewy 
shanks,  and  bent  his  strength  to  the  momentary  struggle. 
To  his  utter  dismay,  he  beheld  his  neighbor  quietly 
shoulder  the  axe,  and  walk  away  from  the  ground ! 

"  Hold  on  ! "  he  shouted ;  "  ain't  ye  goin'  to  kill  the 
bar?" 

"  Wai,  not  jest  now,  I  fancy ;  I  thought  you  might  like 
to  hang  on  a  while  ?  " 

The  tables  thus  turned,  the  deluded  squatter  had  no 
resource  but  to  make  terms  with  his  grimly  gleeful 
neighbor,  who  at  last  consented  to  put  an  end  to  the 
wild  beast's  life,  if  he  might  not  only  be  released  from  the 
bargain  he  had  just  made,  but,  in  addition,  be  himself  the 
recipient  of  the  odd  ox.  Sorely  chagrined,  the  second 
squatter  consented.  But  he  was  a  little  comforted  at  the 
idea  of  a  slight  revanche  that  had  just  entered  his  head. 
Watching  his  chance,  as  the  other  approached  to  deal 
the  fatal  blow,  with  a  desperate  effort  he  tore  out  the 
bear's  claws  from  the  bark  —  setting  the  infuriated 
animal  free  —  and  then  fled  at  full  speed  to  his  cabin, 
leaving  the  two  original  combatants  to  fight  it  out  be 
tween  themselves. 

The  particulars  of  the  contest  even  tradition  has  not 
preserved  —  the  sequel  to  the  narrative  only  telling  that 


THE  SQUATTER'S  BARGAIN.  235 

half  an  hour  later  the  first  squatter,  scratched  and 
bloody,  hobbled  slowly  up  to  the  cabin,  remarking  satir 
ically  as  he  threw  down  the  broken  axe :  — 

"  Thar,  neighbor ;  I  'm  afraid  I  've  spiled  yer  axe, 
but  I'm  sure  I've  spiled  the  bar.  Prehaps  you'd  let 
one  o'  yonr  leetle  boys  drive  that  ere  ox  over  to  my 

house  ?  " 

***** 

After  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  their  planter  friend 
for  a  few  days  longer,  our  travellers  once  more  resumed 
their  journey ;  and  proceeded  up  the  great  Mississippi, 
towards  the  cold  countries  of  the  North. 


236  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER     XLIII. 

THE   POLAR   BEAR. 

A  FEW  weeks  after  leaving  the  Louisiana  planter,  our 
hunters  were  receiving  hospitality  from  a  very  different 
kind  of  host,  a  "fur-trader."  Their  head-quarters  was 
Fort  Churchill,  on  the  western  shore  of  Hudson's  Bay, 
arid  once  the  chief  entrepot  of  the  famous  company  who 
have  so  long  directed  the  destinies  of  that  extensive 
region  —  sometimes  styled  Prince  Rupert's  Land,  but 
more  generally  known  as  the  "  Hudson's  Bay  Territory." 

To  Fort  Churchill  they  had  travelled  almost  due 
north  —  first  up  the  Mississippi,  then  across  land  to 
Lake  Superior,  and  direct  over  the  lake  to  one  of  the 
Company's  posts  on  its  northern  shore.  Thence  by  a 
chain  of  lakes,  rivers,  and  "  portages "  to  York  factory, 
and  on  northward  to  Fort  Churchill.  Of  course,  at  Fort 
Churchill  they  had  arrived  within  the  range  of  the  great 
white  or  polar  bear  (ursus  maritimus),  who  was  to  be 
the  next  object  of  their  "  chasse."  In  the  neighborhood 
of  York  factory,  and  even  farther  to  the  south,  they  might 
have  found  bears  of  this  species :  for  the  ursus  maritimus 
extends  his  wanderings  all  round  the  shores  of  Hudson's 
Bay  —  though  not  to  those  of  James's  Bay  further  south. 
The  latitude  of  55°  is  his  southern  limit  upon  the  conti- 


THE    POLAR    BEAK.  237 

nent  of  America ;  but  this  only  refers  to  the  shores  of 
Labrador  and  those  of  Hudson's  Bay.  On  the  western 
coast  Behring's  Straits  appear  to  form  his  boundary 
southward ;  and  even  within  these,  for  some  distance 
along  both  the  Asiatic  and  American  shores,  he  is  one 
of  the  rarest  of  wanderers.  His  favorite  range  is  among 
the  vast  conglomeration  of  islands  and  peninsulas  that 
extend  around  Hudson's  and  Baffin's  Bays  —  including 
the  ice-bound  coasts  of  Greenland  and  Labrador  —  while 
going  westward  to  Behring's  Straits,  although  the  great 
quadruped  is  occasionally  met  with,  he  is  much  more 
rare.  Somewhat  in  a  similar  manner,  are  the  white 
bears  distributed  in  the  eastern  hemisphere.  While 
found  in  great  plenty  in  the  Frozen  Ocean,  in  its  central 
and  eastern  parts,  towards  the  west,  on  the  northern 
coasts  of  Russia  and  Lapland,  they  are  never  seen  — 
except  when  by  chance  they  have  strayed  thither,  or 
been  drifted  upon  masses  of  floating  ice. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  remark  that  this  species  of  bear 
lives  almost  exclusively  near  the  sea,  and  by  the  sea. 
He  may  be  almost  said  to  dwell  upon  it :  since  out  of 
the  twelve  months  in  the  year,  ten  of  them  at  least  are 
passed  by  him  upon  the  fields  of  ice.  During  the  short 
summer  of  the  Arctic  regions,  he  makes  a  trip  inland  — 
rarely  extending  it  above  fifty  miles,  and  never  over  a 
hundred  —  guided  in  his  excursions  by  the  courses  of 
rivers  that  fall  into  the  sea.  His  purpose  in  making 
these  inland  expeditions,  is  to  pick  up  the  fresh-water 
fish  ;  which  he  finds  it  convenient  to  catch  in  the  numer 
ous  falls  or  shallows  of  the  streams.  He  also  varies  his 
fish  diet  at  this  season,  by  making  an  occasional  meal 


238  BRUIN. 

on  such  roots  and  berries  as  he  may  find  growing  along 
the  banks.  At  other  times  of  the  year,  when  all  inland 
water  is  frozen  up,  and  even  the  sea  to  a  great  distance 
from  land,  he  then  keeps  along  the  extreme  edge  of  the 
frozen  surface,  and  finds  his  food  in  the  open  water  of 
the  sea.  Sea-fish  of  different  species,  seals,  the  young 
walrus,  and  even  at  times  the  young  of  the  great  whale 
itself,  become  his  prey  —  all  of  which  he  hunts  and  cap 
tures  with  a  skill  and  cunning  that  appear  more  the 
result  of  a  reasoning  process  than  a  mere  instinct, 

His  natatory  powers  appear  to  have  no  limit :  at  all 
events,  he  has  been  met  with  swimming  about  in  open 
water  full  twenty  miles  from  either  ice  or  land.  He  has 
been  often  seen  much  farther  from  shore,  drifting  upon 
masses  of  ice  ;  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  he  cared  much 
for  the  footing  thus  afforded  him.  It  is  quite  possible  he 
can  swim  as  long  as  it  pleases  him,  or  until  his  strength 
may  become  exhausted  by  hunger.  While  going  through 
the  water,  it  does  not  appear  necessary  for  him  to  make 
the  slightest  effort ;  and  he  can  even  spring  up  above  the 
surface,  and  bound  forward  after  the  manner  of  porpoises 
or  other  cetacece. 

If  any  quadruped  has  ever  reached  the  pole,  it  is  the 
polar  bear ;  and  it  is  quite  probable  that  his  range  ex 
tends  to  this  remarkable  point  on  the  earth's  surface. 
Most  certainly  it  may,  if  we  suppose  that  there  is  open 
water  around  the  pole  —  a  supposition  that,  by  analogical 
reasoning,  may  be  proved  to  be  correct.  The  daring 
Parry  found  white  bears  at  82° ;  and  there  is  no  reason 
why  they  should  not  traverse  the  intervening  zone  of 
five  hundred  odd  miles,  almost  as  easily  as  the  fowls  of 


THE   POLAR   BEAR.  239 

the  air  or  the  fish  of  the  sea.  No  doubt  there  are  polar 
bears  around  the  pole ;  though  it  may  be  assumed  for 
certain  that  none  of  them  ever  attempts  to  "swarm" 
up  it,  as  the  white  bear  is  not  the  best  climber  of  his 
kind. 

The  female  of  the  polar  bear  is  not  so  much  addicted 
to  a  maritime  life  as  her  liege-lord.  The  former,  unless 
when  barren,  keeps  upon  the  land ;  and  it  is  upon  the 
land  that  she  brings  forth  her  young.  When  pregnant, 
she  wanders  off  to  some  distance  from  the  shore ;  and 
choosing  her  bed,  she  lies  down,  goes  to  sleep,  and  there 
remains  until  spring.  She  does  not,  like  other  hybernat- 
ing  bears,  seek  out  a  cave  or  hollow  tree  ;  for  in  the  deso 
late  land  she  inhabits,  ofttimes  neither  one  nor  the  other 
could  be  found.  She  merely  waits  for  the  setting  in  of  a 
great  snow-storm  —  which  her  instinct  warns  her  of — 
and  then,  stretching  herself  under  the  lee  of  a  rock  —  or 
other  inequality,  where  the  snow  will  be  likely  to  form  a 
deep  drift  —  she  remains  motionless  till  it  has  "  smoored  " 
her  quite  up,  often  covering  her  body  to  the  depth  of  sev 
eral  feet.  There  she  remains  throughout  the  winter, 
completely  motionless,  and  apparently  in  a  state  of  tor 
por.  The  heat  of  her  body  thawing  the  snow  that  comes 
immediately  in  contact  with  it,  together  with  some  warmth 
from  her  limited  breathing,  in  time  enlarges  the  space 
around  her,  so  that  she  reclines  inside  a  sort  of  icy  shell. 
It  is  fortunate  that  circumstances  provide  her  with  this 
extra  room :  since  in  due  course  of  time  she  will  stand  in 
need  of  it  for  the  company  she  expects. 

And  in  process  of  time  it  is  called  into  use.  When 
the  spring  sun  begins  to  melt  the  snow  outside,  the  beai 


240  BRUIN. 

becomes  a  mother,  and  a  brace  of  little  white  cubs  make 
their  appearance,  each  about  as  big  as  a  rabbit. 

The  mother  does  not  immediately  lead  them  forth  from 
their  snowy  chamber ;  but  continues  to  suckle  them  there 
until  they  are  of  the  size  of  Arctic  foxes,  and  ready  to 
take  the  road.  Then  she  makes  an  effort,  breaks  through 
the  icy  crust  that  forms  the  dome  of  her  dwelling,  and 
commences  her  journey  towards  the  sea. 

There  are  times  when  the  snow  around  her  has  become 
so  firmly  caked,  that,  with  her  strength  exhausted  by  the 
suckling  of  her  cubs,  the  bear  is  unable  to  break  through 
it.  In  a  case  of  this  kind,  she  is  compelled  to  remain  in 
an  involuntary  durance  —  until  the  sun  gradually  melts 
the  ice  around  her  and  sets  her  free.  Then  she  issues 
from  her  prolonged  imprisonment,  only  the  shadow  of 
her  former  self,  and  scarce  able  to  keep  her  feet. 

The  Northern  Indians  and  Eskimos  capture  hundreds 
of  these  hybernating  bears  every  season  —  taking  both 
them  and  their  cubs  at  the  same  time.  They  find  the 
retreat  in  various  ways  :  sometimes  by  their  dogs  scrap 
ing  to  get  into  it,  and  sometimes  by  observing  the  white 
hoar  that  hangs  over  a  little  hole  which  the  warmth  of  the 
bear's  breath  has  kept  open  in  the  snow. 

The  hunters,  having  ascertained  the  exact  position  of 
the  animal's  body,  either  dig  from  above,  and  spear  the 
old  she  in  her  bed  ;  or  they  make  a  tunnel  in  a  horizon 
tal  direction,  and,  getting  a  noose  around  the  head  or 
one  of  the  paws  of  the  bear,  drag  her  forth  in  that 
way. 

To  give  an  account  of  the  many  interesting  habits  pe 
culiar  to  the  polar  bear  —  with  others  which  this  species 


THE    POLAR    BEAR.  241 

shares  in  common  with  the  Bruin  family — would  require 
a  volume  to  itself.  These  habits  are  well  described  by 
many  writers  of  veracity,  —  such  as  Lyon,  Hearne,  Rich 
ardson,  and  a  long  array  of  other  Arctic  explorers.  It  is 
therefore  unnecessary  to  dwell  on  them  here  —  where  we 
have  only  space  to  narrate  an  adventure  which  occurred 
to  our  young  bear-hunters,  while  procuring  the  skin  of 
this  interesting  quadruped. 


11 


BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XLIV. 

THE    OLD    SHE    SURROUNDED. 

THEY  had  been  for  some  days  oft  the  lookout  for  a 
white  bear ;  and  had  made  several  excursions  from  the 
Fort  —  going  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Seal  river, 
which  runs  into  Hudson's  Bay  a  little  farther  to  the 
north.  On  all  these  excursions  they  had  been  unsuccess 
ful  ;  for,  although  they  had  several  times  come  upon  the 
track  of  the  bears,  and  had  even  seen  them  at  a  distance, 
they  were  unable  in  a  single  instance  to  get  within  shot. 
The  difficulty  arose  from  the  level  nature  of  the  ground, 
and  its  being  quite  destitute  of  trees  or  other  cover,  under 
which  they  might  approach  the  animals.  The  country 
around  Fort  Churchill  is  of  this  character  —  and  indeed 
along  the  whole  western  shore  of  Hudson's  Bay,  where 
the  soil  is  a  low  alluviom,  without  either  rocks  or  hills. 
This  formation  runs  landward  for  about  a  hundred  miles 
—  constituting  a  strip  of  marshy  soil,  which  separates 
the  sea  from  a  parallel  limestone  formation  further  in 
ward.  Then  succeed  the  primitive  rocks,  which  cover 
a  large  interior  tract  of  country,  known  as  the  "  Barren 
Grounds." 

It  is  only  on  the  low  belt  adjoining  the  coast  that  the 
polar  bear  is  found ;  but  the  females  range  quite  across 


THE    OLD    SHE    SURROUNDED.  243 

to  the  skirts  of  the  woods  which  cover  the  limestone 
formation.  Our  hunters  therefore  knew  that  either  upon 
the  shore  itself,  or  upon  the  low  alluvial  tract  adjoining 
it,  they  would  have  to  search  for  their  game ;  and  to  this 
district  they  confined  their  search. 

On  the  fifth  day  they  made  a  more  extended  excur 
sion  towards  the  interior.  It  was  now  the  season  of  mid 
summer,  when  the  old  males  range  up  the  banks  of  the 
streams  :  partly  with  the  design  of  catching  a  few  fresh 
water  fish,  partly*  to  nibble  at  the  sweet  berries,  but 
above  all  to  meet  the  females,  who,  just  then,  with  their 
half-grown  cubs,  come  coyly  seaward  to  meet  their  old 
friends  of  the  previous  year,  and  introduce  their  offspring 
to  their  fathers,  who,  up  to  this  hour,  have  not  set  eyes 
on  them. 

On  the  present  excursion  our  hunters  were  more  for 
tunate  than  before :  since  they  not  only  witnessed  a 
reunion  of  this  sort,  but  succeeded  in  making  a  capture 
of  the  whole  family,  —  father,  mother,  and  cubs. 

They  had,  on  this  occasion,  gone  up  the  Churchill 
river,  and  were  ascending  a  branch  stream  that  runs 
into  the  latter,  some  miles  above  the  fort.  Their  mode 
of  travelling  was  in  a  birch-bark  canoe :  for  horses  are 
almost  unknown  in  the  territory  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  excepting  in  those  parts  of  it  that  consist  of 
prairie.  Throughout  most  of  this  region  the  only  means 
of  travelling  is  by  canoes  and  boats,  which  are  managed 
by  men  who  follow  it  as  a  calling,  and  who  are  styled 
"  voyageurs."  They  are  nearly  all  of  Canadian  origin 
—  many  of  them  half-breeds,  and  extremely  skilful  in 
the  navigation  of  the  lakes  and  rivers  of  this  untrodden 


244  BRUIN. 

wilderness.  Of  course  most  of  them  are  in  the  employ 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company ;  and  when  not  actually 
engaged  in  "  voyaging  "  do  a  little  hunting  and  trapping 
on  their  own  account. 

Two  of  these  voyageurs  —  kindly  furnished  by  the 
chief  factor  at  the  fort  —  propelled  the  canoe  which  car 
ried  our  young  hunters  ;  so  that  with  Pouchskin  there 
were  five  men  in  the  little  craft.  This  was  nothing, 
however,  as  birch-bark  canoes  are  used  in  the  territory 
of  a  much  larger  kind  —  some  that  will  even  carry 
tons  of  merchandise  and  a  great  many  men.  Along 
the  bank  of  the  stream  into  which  they  had  now  entered 
grew  a  selvage  of  willows  —  here  and  there  forming 
leafy  thickets  that  were  impenetrable  to  the  eye  ;  but  in 
other  places  standing  so  thinly,  that  the  plains  beyond 
them  could  not  be  seen  out  of  the  canoe. 

It  was  a  likely  enough  place  for  white  bears  to  be 
found  in  —  especially  at  this  season,  when,  as  already 
stated,  the  old  males  go  inland  to  meet  the  females,  as 
well  as  to  indulge  in  a  little  vegetable  diet,  after  having 
confined  themselves  all  the  rest  of  the  year  to  fish  and 
seal-flesh.  The  voyageurs  said  that  there  were  many 
bulbous  roots  growing  in  those  low  meadows  of  which 
the  bears  are  very  fond ;  and  also  larvce  of  certain  in 
sects,  found  in  heaps,  like  ant-hills  —  which,  by  Bruin, 
are  es.teemed  a  delicacy  of  the  rarest  kind. 

For  this  reason  our  hunters  were  regarding  the  land 
on  both  sides  of  the  stream,  occasionally  standing  up  in 
the  canoe  to  reconnoitre  over  the  tops  of  the  willows,  or 
peering  through  them  where  they  grew  thinly.  While 
passing  opposite  one  of  the  breaks  in  the  willow-grove, 


THE    OLD    SHE    SURROUNDED.  245 

a  spectacle  came  before  their  eyes  that  caused  them  to 
order  the  canoe  to  be  stopped,  and  the  voyageurs  to  rest 
on  their  oars. 

Alexis,  who  had  been  upon  the  lookout,  at  first  did 
not  know  what  to  make  of  the  spectacle  :  so  odd  was  the 
grouping  of  the  figures  that  composed  it  He  could  see 
a  large  number  of  animals  of  quadrupedal  form,  but  of 
different  colors.  Some  were  nearly  white,  others  brown 
or  reddish-brown,  and  several  were  quite  black.  All 
appeared  to  have  long,  shaggy  hair,  cocked  ears,  and 
large,  bushy  tails.  They  were  not  standing  at  rest,  but 
moving  about  — -  now  running  rapidly  from  point  to  point, 
now  leaping  up  in  the  air,  while  some  were  rushing 
round  in  circles !  In  all  there  appeared  to  be  thirty  or 
forty  of  them  ;  and  they  covered  a  space  of  ground  about 
as  large  as  a  drawing-room  floor. 

There  was  a  slight  haze  or  mist  hanging  over  the  mead 
ow,  which  hindered  Alexis  from  having  a  clear  view  of 
these  animals ;  and,  through  the  magnifying  influence 
of  this  sort  of  atmosphere,  they  appeared  as  large  as 
young  oxen.  Their  form,  however,  was  very  different 
from  these ;  and  from  their  pointed  ears,  long  muzzles, 
and  full,  bunching  tails,  Alexis  could  think  of  nothing 
else  to  compare  them  to  but  wolves.  Their  varied  col 
ors  signified  nothing :  since  in  these  northern  lands  there 
are  wolves  of  many  varieties  from  white  to  black ;  and 
wolves  they  really  were  —  only  magnified  by  the  mist 
into  gigantic  proportions. 

Alexis  had  not  viewed  them  long  before  perceiving 
that  they  were  not  all  wolves.  In  their  midst  was  an 
animal  of  a  very  different  kind  —  much  larger  than  any 


246  BRUIX. 

of  them ;  but  what  sort  of  a  creature  it  was  the  young 
hunter  could  not  make  out. 

Ivan,  who  had  risen  to  his  feet,  was  equally  puzzled  to 
tell. 

It  appeared  as  large  as  half  a  dozen  of  the  wolves 
rolled  up  into  one,  and  was  whiter  than  the  whitest  of 
them  ;  but  it  looked  as  if  it  had  a  hunch  upon  its  back  ; 
and  altogether  more  like  a  shapeless  mass  of  white  bristly 
hair  than  a  regularly-formed  quadruped.  It  must  be  an 
animal,  however,  as  its  motions  testified ;  for  it  was  seen 
to  be  turning  round  and  round,  and  at  intervals  darting 
forward  a  pace  or  two,  as  if  working  its  way  in  the  di 
rection  of  the  river. 

"Whatever  the  animal  was,  it  soon  became  clear  that  it 
was  battling  with  the  wolves  that  surrounded  it ;  and  this 
accounted  for  the  singular  movements  that  these  last  were 
making,  as  well  as  for  their  fierce  barking  and  growling 
that,  in  confused  chorus,  filled  the  air.  At  intervals,  and 
still  louder,  could  be  heard  a  different  sort  of  cry  —  shrill 
and  plaintive,  like  the  hinny  of  a  mule  —  and  evidently 
proceeding  not  from  the  wolves,  but  from  the  huge  white 
animal  which  they  were  assailing. 

The  voyageurs  at  once  recognized  the  cry. 

"  A  bear !  —  a  sea-bear  !  "  exclaimed  both  together. 

One  of  them  stood  up,  and  looked  over  the  plain. 

"  Yes,"  said  he,  confirming  his  first  assertion.  "  An 
old  she  it  is,  surrounded  by  wolves.  Ha !  it 's  her  cubs 
they're  after  !  Voila  messieurs!  She  's  got  one  of  them 
on  her  back.  Enfant  de  garce,  how  the  old  beldam  keeps 
them  at  bay  !  She 's  fighting  her  way  to  the  water ! " 

Guided  by  the  words  of  the  voyageur,  our  hunters 


THE    OLD    SHE    SURROUNDED.  247 

now  perceived  clearly  enough  that  the  white  object  ap 
pearing  over  the  backs  of  the  wolves  was  neither  more 
nor  less  than  a  large  bear ;  and  that  which  they  had 
taken  for  a  hunch  upon  its  shoulders  was  another  bear  — 
a  young  one,  stretched  out  at  full  length  along  the  back  of 
its  mother,  and  clinging  there,  with  its  fore-arms  clasped 
around  her  neck. 

It  was  evident,  also,  as  the  voyageur  had  said,  that 
the  old  she  was  endeavoring  to  work  her  way  towards  the 
river  —  in  hopes,  no  doubt,  of  retreating  to  the  water, 
where  she  knew  the  wolves  would  not  dare  to  follow  her. 
This  was  evidently  her  design :  for,  while  they  stood 
watching,  she  advanced  several  yards  of  ground  in  the 
direction  of  the  stream. 

Notwithstanding  the  fierce  eagerness  with  which  the 
wolves  kept  up  the  attack,  they  were  observing  consider 
able  caution  in  the  conflict.  They  had  good  reason : 
Since  before  their  eyes  was  an  example  of  what  they 
might  expect,  if  they  came  to  very  close  quarters.  Upon 
the  ground  over  which  the  fight  had  been  raging,  three  or 
four  of  their  number  were  seen  lying  apparently  dead  — 
while  others  were  limping  around,  or  sneaked  off  with 
whining  cries,  licking  the  wounds  they  had  received  from 
the  long  claws  of  their  powerful  adversary. 

It  was  rather  an  odd  circumstance  for  the  wolves  to 
h-ave  thus  attacked  a  polar  bear  —  an  antagonist  of  which 
they  stand  in  the  utmost  dread.  The  thing,  however, 
was  explained  by  one  of  the  voyageurs ;  who  said  that 
the  bear  in  question  was  a  weak  one  —  half  famished, 
perhaps,  and  feeble  from  having  suckled  her  young  ;  and 
it  was  the  cubs,  and  not  the  old  bear  herself,  that  the 


248  BRUIN. 

wolves  were  after  —  thinking  to  separate  these  from  their 
mother,  and  so  destroy  and  devour  them.  Perhaps  one 
of  them  had  been  eaten  up  already  :  since  only  one  could 
be  seen  ;  and  there  are  always  two  cubs  in  a  litter. 

Our  young  hunters  did  not  think  of  staying  longer  to 
watch  the  strange  encounter.  Their  sole  idea  was  to 
get  possession  of  the  bear  and  her  cub ;  and  with  this 
intent  they  ordered  the  voyageurs  to  paddle  close  up  to 
the  shore  and  land  them.  As  soon  as  the  canoe  touched 
the  bank,  both  leaped  out ;  and,  followed  by  Pouchskin, 
proceeded  towards  the  scene  of  the  conflict,  —  the  voy 
ageurs  remaining  in  the  canoe. 


WHOLE   FAMILY    CAPTURED.  249 


CHAPTER    XLV. 

A   WHOLE   FAMILY    CAPTURED. 

THE  party  had  not  gone  more  than  a  dozen  steps  from 
the  water's  edge,  when  a  new  object  coming  under  their 
eyes  caused  them  to  halt.  This  was  another  quadruped 
that  at  that  moment  was  seen  dashing  out  from  the  wil 
lows,  and  rushing  onward  towards  the  scene  of  the  strife. 
There  was  no  mistaking  the  character  of  the  creature. 
Our  hunters  saw  at  a  glance  that  it  was  a  large  white 
bear  —  much  larger  than  the  one  surrounded  by  the 
wolves.  It  was,  in  fact,  the  male ;  who,  wandering  in 
the  thicket  of  willows  —  or,  more  likely,  lying  there 
asleep  —  had  not  till  that  moment  been  aware  of  what 
was  going  on,  or  that  his  wife  and  children  were  in  such 
deadly  danger.  Perhaps  it  was  the  noise  that  had 
awaked  him ;  and  he  was  just  in  the  act  of  hastening 
forward  to  the  rescue. 

With  a  shuffling  gallop  he  glided  over  the  plain  —  as 
fast  as  a  horse  could  have  gone ;  and  in  a  few  seconds  he 
was  close  up  to  the  scene  of  the  conflict  —  to  which  his 
presence  put  an  end  right  on  the  instant.  The  wolves, 
seeing  him  rush  open-mouthed  towards  them,  one  and  all 
bolted  off;  and  ran  at  full  speed  over  the  plain,  their 
long  tails  streaming  out  behind  them.  Those  that  were 
11* 


250  BRUIN. 


wounded,  however,  could  not  get  clear  so  easily ;  and  the 
enraged  bear,  charging  upon  these,  rushed  from  one  to 
the  other,  knocking  the  breath  out  of  each  as  he  came  up 
to  it,  with  a  single  u  pat "  of  his  heavy  paws. 

In  less  than  ten  seconds  the  ground  was  quite  cleared 
of  the  ravenous  wolves.  Only  the  dead  ones  remained 
on  it ;  while  the  others,  having  got  off  to  a  safe  distance, 
halted  in  straggling  groups ;  and,  with  their  tails  droop 
ing  upon  the  grass,  stood  gazing  back  with  looks  of  mel 
ancholy  disappointment. 

Bruin,  meanwhile,  having  settled  his  affair  with  the 
wounded  wolves,  ran  up  to  his  mate  ;  and  throwing  liis 
paws  around  her  neck,  appeared  to  congratulate  her  upon 
her  escape  !  And  now  did  our  hunters  perceive  that 
there  were  two  cubs  instead  of  one  —  that  which  still 
clung  fast  upon  the  mother's  back,  and  another  which 
was  seen  under  her  belly,  and  which  she  had  been 
equally  protecting  against  the  crowd  of  assailants  that 
surrounded  her. 

Both  the  little  fellows  —  about  as  large  as  foxes  they 
were  —  now  perceived  that  they  were  out  of  a  danger  — 
which,  no  doubt,  they  had  perfectly  comprehended.  That 
upon  the  shoulders  of  the  dam  leaped  down  to  the  earth ; 
while  the  other  crawled  out  "  from  under ;  "  and  both 
coming  together  began  tumbling  about  over  the  grass, 
and  rolling  over  one  another  in  play,  the  parents  watch 
ing  with  interest  their  uncouth  gambols. 

Notwithstanding  the  well-known  ferocity  of  these  ani 
mals,  there  was  something  so  tender  in  the  spectacle, 
that  our  hunters  hesitated  about  advancing.  Alexis,  in 
particular,  whose  disposition  was  a  shade  more  gentle 


A   WHOLE   FAMILY    CAPTURED.  251 

than  that  of  his  companions,  felt  certciin  qualms  of  com 
passion,  as  he  looked  upon  this  exhibition  of  feelings  and 
affections  that  appeared  almost  human.  Ivan  was  even 
touched  ;  and  certainly  neither  he  nor  his  brother  would 
have  slain  these  creatures  out  of  mere  wanton  sport. 
They  would  not  have  thought  of  such  a  thing  under  ordi 
nary  circumstances ;  and  it  was  only  from  the  necessity 
they  were  under  of  procuring  the  skin  that  they  thought 
of  it  all.  Perhaps  they  would  even  have  passed  this 
group ;  and  taken  their  chances  of  finding  another,  that 
might  make  a  less  powerful  appeal  to  their  compassion  ; 
but  in  this  they  were  overruled  by  Pouchskin.  The  old 
grenadier  was  afflicted  by  no  such  tender  sentiments  ; 
and  throwing  aside  all  scruple,  before  his  young  masters 
could  interfere  to  prevent  him,  he  advanced  a  few  paces 
forward,  and  discharged  his  fusil,  broadside  at  the  biggest 
of  the  bears. 

Whether  he  hit  the  bear  or  not,  was  not  then  known. 
Certain  it  was  that  he  in  no  way  crippled  the  animal ; 
for,  as  soon  as  the  smoke  had  cleared  out  of  his  eyes,  he 
saw  the  huge  quadruped  part  from  the  side  of  his  mate, 
and  come  charging  down  upon  him. 

Pouchskin  hesitated  for  a  moment  whether  to  with 
stand  the  attack,  and  had  drawn  his  knife  to  be  ready ; 
but  the  formidable  appearance  of  the  antagonist,  his  im 
mense  size,  and  fierce  aspect,  admonished  Pouchskin  that 
in  this  case  discretion  might  be  the  better  part  of  valor, 
and  he  yielded  to  the  suggestion.  Indeed,  the  two  voya- 
geurs  in  the  canoe  were  already  shouting  to  all  three  to 
run  for  it  —  warning  them  of  the  danger  they  were  in  by 
the  most  earnest  speech  and  gesture. 


252  BRUIN. 

Ivan  and  Alexis  stoood  their  ground  till  Pouchskin 
had  returned  to  where  they  were,  and  then  both  fired 
upon  the  bear.  They  may  have  hit  him  or  not ;  but  the 
huge  monster  showed  no  sign,  and  only  appeared  to 
charge  forward  the  faster. 

All  three  together  now  ran  for  the  boat.  It  was  their 
only  refuge ;  for  had  it  been  a  trial  of  speed,  and  much 
ground  to  go  over,  the  bear  would  certainly  have  over 
taken  them ;  and  a  few  wipes  from  his  paw  would  haA'e 
ended  the  life  of  one  or  the  other  —  perhaps  of  the 
whole  trio. 

It  was  fortunate  they  had  the  boat  to  flee  to:  else 
Pouchskin's  imprudence,  in  provoking  the  bear,  might 
have  led  to  a  fatal  termination. 

Quick  as  their  legs  could  carry  them  they  made  for 
the  canoe ;  and  one  after  the  other  leaped  into  it.  With 
out  even  waiting  for  them  to  seat  themselves,  the  two 
voyageurs  pushed  off  from  the  bank,  suddenly  shooting 
the  craft  out  into  the  middle  of  the  stream. 

But  this  did  not  stay  the  pursuit  of  the  infuriated 
bear,  nor  even  delay  him  for  a  moment. 

On  reaching  the  bank,  he  did  not  make  halt ;  but, 
launching  out,  sprang  down  with  a  plunge  upon  the  water. 
Then,  stretching  his  body  at  full  length,  he  swam  direct 
after  the  canoe. 

The  craft  had  been  turned  head  down  the  stream; 
and,  what  with  the  help  of  the  current  and  the  impulse 
of  the  oars,  it  swept  onward  with  arrow-like  rapidity. 
But  for  all  that  it  soon  became  apparent  that  the  bear 
was  gaining  upon  it  —  his  broad  paws  enabling  him  to 
swim  with  the  velocity  of  a  fish  —  while  every  now  and 


A   WHOLE   FAMILY   CAPTURED.  253 

then  he  rose  above  the  surface,  and  bounded  forward 
to  a  distance  of  several  feet  through  the  air! 

The  voyageurs  plied  their  paddles  with  all  their  skill 
and  energy ;  there  was  the  dread  of  death  to  stimulate 
them  to  the  utmost  exertion  of  their  strength.  They 
knew  well,  that,  if  the  bear  should  succeed  in  coming 
up  with  the  canoe,  he  would  either  mount  into  it,  and 
drive  all  of  them  into  the  water;  or,  what  was  more 
probable,  he  would  upset  the  craft,  and  spill  the  whole 
party  out  of  it.  In  either  case,  there  would  be  the 
danger  of  coming  in  contact  with  his  claws ;  and  that, 
they  knew,  was  the  danger  of  death  itself. 

The  hunters  were  all  three  busy  reloading  their  guns ; 
and  getting  ready  to  fire  before  the  enemy  should  be  up 
to  them. 

They  were  not  in  time,  however.  With  the  motion 
of  the  boat,  and  the  constrained  attitudes  in  which  it 
placed  them,  the  loading  was  a  slow  process ;  and,  before 
any  of  the  three  had  a  bullet  down,  the  bear  was  close 
astern.  Only  Ivan  had  a  barrel  loaded ;  and  this,  un 
fortunately,  was  with  small  shot,  which  he  had  been 
keeping  for  waterfowl.  He  fired  it,  nevertheless,  right 
into  the  teeth  of  the  pursuer ;  but,  instead  of  stopping 
him,  it  only  increased  his  rage,  and  roused  him  to  make 
still  greater  efforts  to  overtake  the  canoe. 

Pouchskiri,  in  despair,  threw  down  his  gun,  and  seized 
upon  an  axe,  that  by  good  luck  had  been  brought  in  the 
boat.  With  this  firmly  grasped  in  his  hands,  and  kneel 
ing  in  the  stern,  he  waited  the  approach  of  the  infuriated 
swimmer. 

The  bear  had  got  close  up  to  the  boat  —  in  fact  was 


254  BRUIN. 

within  the  length  of  his  own  body  of  touching  it.  Be 
lieving  himself  now  near  enough,  he  made  one  of  his 
prodigious  bounds,  and  launched  himself  forward.  His 
sharp  claws  rattled  against  the  birch  bark,  tearing  a 
large  flake  from  the  craft.  Had  this  not  given  way,  his 
hold  would  have  been  complete ;  and  the  boat  would,  in 
all  likelihood,  have  been  dragged,  stern  foremost,  under 
water.  But  the  failure  of  his  clutch  brought  the  head 
of  the  monster  once  more  on  a  level  with  the  surface  ; 
and  before  he  could  raise  it  to  make  a  second  spring,  the 
great  wedge  of  steel  descended  upon  his  crown,  and  went 
crashing  through  his  skull. 

Almost  in  the  same  instant,  he  was  seen  to  turn  over 
in  the  water ;  his  limbs  moved  only  with  a  spasmodic 
action ;  he  gave  a  feeble  kick  or  two  with  his  long  hind 
legs ;  and  then  his  carcass  floated  along  the  surface,  like 
a  mass  of  white  foam. 

It  was  soon  secured,  and  drawn  out  upon  the  bank  — 
for  the  purpose  of  being  stripped  of  its  snow-white  robe. 

Our  young  hunters  would  have  been  contented  to  have 
left  the  others  alone  —  neither  the  female  nor  her  cubs 
being  required  by  them.  But  the  voyageurs  —  who  were 
desirous  of  obtaining  the  skins  of  all  three  on  their  own 
account — proposed  returning  to  effect  their  destruction; 
and  in  this  proposal  they  were  backed  by  Pouchskin, 
who  had  a  natural  antipathy  to  all  bears. 

It  ended  in  the  killing  of  the  dam,  and  the  captur 
ing  of  her  cubs  alive;  for,  encumbered  as  the  old  she 
was  with  her  offspring,  she  was  soon  overtaken,  and 
fell  an  easy  victim  to  the  volley  of  bullets  that  were 
poured  into  her  from  all  sides  at  once. 


A    WHOLE    FAMILY    CAPTURED.  255 


With  the  skins  of  the  old  bears,  and  the  cubs  tied  in 
the  bottom  of  the  canoe,  our  hunters  started  back  down 
stream ;  but  they  had  scarce  parted  from  the  place,  be 
fore  the  ravenous  wolves  returned  —  not  only  to  devour 
the  carcasses  of  the  bears,  but  also  those  of  their  own 
comrades  that  had  fallen  in  the  encounter ! 


256  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    XLVI. 

THE    BARREN    GROUNDS. 

THE  "  Barren  Ground  bear "  was  next  to  be  sought 
for ;  but  to  reach  the  haunts  of  this  animal,  a  long  and 
toilsome  journey  must  be  made.  That  tract  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  territory  known  as  the  "  Barren  Grounds," 
extends  from  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Sea  as  far  south 
as  the  latitude  of  the  Churchill  river;  bounded  east 
ward  by  Hudson's  Bay  itself,  and  westward  by  a  chain 
of  lakes,  of  which  the  Great  Slave  and  Athapescow 
are  the  principal. 

This  immense  territory  is  almost  unexplored  to  the 
present  hour.  Even  the  Hudson's  Bay  trappers  have 
a  very  imperfect  knowledge  of  it.  It  has  been  crossed 
in  one  or  two  places,  and  skirted  by  exploring  parties, 
but  it  is  still  almost  a  terra  ignota,  except  to  the  four 
or  five  tribes  of  Indians  who  dwell  around  its  borders, 
and  the  Esquimaux,  who  venture  a  little  way  into  it 
along  the  coast  of  the  Arctic  Sea. 

Before  proceeding  to  hunt  the  Barren  Ground  bear, 
let  us  say  a  word  about  his  species.  By  writers,  both 
old  and  modern,  he  has  been  variously  classed.  Even 
the  ablest  naturalist  who  has  written  about  him  is  puz 
zled  as  to  his  species.  We  speak  of  Sir  John  Rich- 


THE    BARREN    GROUNDS.  257 

ardson,  the  companion  of  the  lamented  Franklin,  and 
himself  one  of  the  great  men  of  the  earth.  Sir  John 
first  regarded  this  bear,  though  very  doubtfully,  as  a 
variety  of  the  ursus  amencanus,  or  American  black 
bear.  Later  observations  influenced  him  to  change  this 
opinion  ;  and  again  with  modest  doubtfulness  —  charac 
teristic  of  the  man  —  he  suggests  his  being  a  variety 
of  the  ursus  arctos. 

"We  shall  make  bold  to  affirm  that  he  is  a  variety 
of  neither ;  but  a  distinct  species  of  bear. 

"We  shall  give  our  reasons  —  and  first,  as  to  his  dis 
tinctness  from  the  ursus  americanus.  He  is  not  like 
the  latter,  either  in  color,  shape  of  body,  bulk,  profile, 
physiognomy,  length  of  feet  or  tail.  In  all  these 
respects  he  bears  a  greater  resemblance  to  the  ursus 
arctos,  or  even  to  his  nearer  neighbor,  the  grisly  (ursus 
ferox).  He  differs  from  both  these,  however,  in  other 
points  —  as  will  presently  be  seen.  Again,  he  is  of  a 
fiercer  disposition  than  the  black  bear,  and  more  dan 
gerous  to  the  hunter  —  almost  as  much  so  as  the  grisly, 
and  quite  as  much  as  the  brown.  Moreover,  he  dwells 
in  a  country  in  which  the  black  bear  could  not  make 
his  home.  To  the  existence  of  the  latter,  the  forest  is 
essential ;  and  he  is  never  found  far  out  of  it.  It  is 
not  the  higher  latitude  that  keeps  him  out  of  the  Barren 
Grounds,  but  the  absence  of  timber.  This  is  proved 
by  the  fact  of  his  being  found  quite  as  far  northward 
as  any  part  of  the  Barren  Grounds,  but  where  the 
limestone  formation  favors  the  growth  of  trees ;  where 
as,  among  the  primitive  rocks  to  the  north  of  Nelson 
river,  the  black  bear  does  not  exist  —  the  very  region 

Q 


258  BRUIN. 

that  appears  most  favorable  to  the  existence  of  the 
Barren  Ground  species  —  who  cares  not  for  trees,  and 
cannot  climb  them. 

Still  another  material  difference  may  be  pointed  out. 
The  black  bear,  in  his  normal  state,  is  altogether  fru- 
givorous  —  a  true  vegetable  feeder.  The  other  is  car 
nivorous  and  piscivorous  —  at  one  season  killing  and  eat 
ing  marmots  and  mice,  at  another  frequenting  the  sea- 
coast  and  subsisting  upon  fish.  In  a  word,  the  two 
bears  are  as  unlike  as  may  be  —  they  are  distinct 
species. 

To  compare  the  Barren  Ground  bear  with  the  ursus 
arctos.  The  former  is  certainly  much  more  like  this 
species,  than  he  is  to  the  ursus  americanus  ;  but  again 
we  encounter  notable  points  of  difference ;  and  were  it 
not  for  a  certain  resemblance  in  color,  it  is  possible  the 
two  kinds  would  never  have  been  brought  into  compari 
son.  It  is  easy,  however  to  prove  them  also  distinct 
species  —  by  simply  observing  that  their  habits  are  al 
together  unlike.  The  ursus  arctos  is  a  tree-climbing 
wood-bear:  the  Barren  Ground  species  is  not.  The 
former  prefers  a  vegetable  diet — the  latter  likes  bet 
ter  fish,  flesh,  and  insects  —  though  he  will  also  fill  his 
stomach  with  a  farrago  of  vegetable  matters. 

But  to  say  .nothing  of  the  very  different  habits  of  the 
two  animals,  there  is  a  yellowish  tinge  over  the  fur  of  the 
American  species  that  is  not  observed  in  the  brown  bears 
of  European  countries  —  except,  perhaps,  in  those  of  the 
Pyrenees  —  and  at  certain  seasons  this  tinge  turns  so 
pale,  as  to  give  a  whitish  appearance  to  the  animal: 
hence,  by  the  Indians,  they  are  often  tei^ned  "while 
bears." 


THE    BARREN    GROUNDS.  259 

It  is,  besides,  altogether  improbable,  that  the  brown 
bear  of  Europe  should  turn  up  in  the  "  Barren  Grounds  " 
of  the  Hu4son's  Bay  territory  —  an  isolated,  treeless 
tract  —  quite  unlike  his  habitat  in  the  Old  World  ;  and 
to  which  no  line  of  migration  could  be  traced  with  much 
probability.  We  might  suppose  such  a  migration  through 
Siberia  and  Russian  America ;  and  certainly  there  is 
some  probability  in  this  view :  for  although  it  has  been 
hitherto  stated  that  the  Barren  Ground  bear  is  only 
found  within  the  limits  of  the  peculiar  district  so  called, 
it  is  very  certain  that  his  range  extends  beyond  these 
boundaries.  The  brown  bear  of  Russian  America  and 
the  Aleutian  Islands  appears  to  be  identical  with  this 
^pecies  ;  and  there  is  a  suspicion  that  the  brown  species 
of  Kamschatka  is  no  other  than  the  Barren  Ground  bear 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay.  The  fishing  habits  of  the  former 
go  some  ways  towards  an  identification  of  the  two  species 
—  at  the  same  time  separating  both  from  the  ursus  arctos 
of  Scandinavia. 

It  needs  hardly  to  be  argued,  that  the  Barren  Ground 
bear  is  quite  a  distinct  animal  from  the  grisly  —  though 
writers  have  often  confounded  them.  They  are  different 
in  size  and  color.  Though  the  grisly  is  sometimes  brown, 
it  is  always  with  a  mixture  of  white-tipped  hairs ;  but 
the  most  essential  distinction  is  to  be  found  in  the  greater 
ferocity  of  the  latter,  and  his  far  longer  and  more  curving 
claws.  Many  other  points  might  be  mentioned  —  show 
ing  them  to  be  animals  of  two  separate  species  —  be 
sides,  their  range  is  altogether  distinct. 

The  Barren  Ground  bear,  then,  is  not  the  ursus  arctos, 
americanus,  or  ferox.  What  then?  Has  he  received 


260  BRUIN. 

no  specific  name  from  the  naturalists  ?  Not  yet.  Alexis, 
however,  bestowed  one  upon  him.  He  named  him  after 
the  man  who  has  given  the  clearest  account  of  his  country 
and  his  habits ;  and  whom  Alexis  deemed  most  worthy 
of  the  honor.  In  his  journal  we  find  the  record.  There 
it  is  written,  that  the  Barren  Ground  bear  is  the  ursus 
Richardsonii. 


BRUIN    TAKING    A    BATH.  261 


CHAPTER    XLVII. 

BRUIN   TAKING   A   BATH. 

To  seek  the  haunts  of  this  new  species  of  bear,  I  have 
said  that  our  hunters  would  have  a  long  journey  to  make, 
even  so  far  as  the  Great  Slave  Lake  —  for  although  the 
Barren  Grounds  extend  many  degrees  to  the  south  of 
this  water,vthe  ursus  Richardsonii  rarely  wanders  to  a 
lower  latitude.  Upon  the  shores  of  the  Slave  Lake, 
however,  they  would  be  certain  to  encounter  him,  and 
thither  they  repaired. 

They  were  fortunate  in  the  time  of  the  year.  The 
annual  "  brigade "  of  boats  belonging  to  the  Great  Fur 
Company  was  just  setting  out  from  York  Factory,  for 
Norway  House  on  Lake  Winnipeg ;  and  thence  a  divis 
ion  of  it  would  proceed  to  the  posts  still  further  north 
ward —  on  Lake  Athapescow  and  the  waters  of  the 
Mackenzie  River  —  passing  through  the  Slave  Lake 
itself.  Their  object,  of  course,  in  their  annual  journey  is 
to  distribute  at  the  fur-stations,  the  goods,  brought  from 
England  by  the  Company's  ships,  and  in  return  bring 
back  the  peltries  collected  throughout  the  winter. 

With  the  brigade,  then,  went  our  hunters ;  and  after 
enduring,  in  common  with  the  others,  the  hardships  and 
perils  incidental  to  such  a  long  inland  voyage,  they  at 


262  BRUIN. 

length  found  themselves  at  the  point  of  their  destination, 
Fort  Resolution,  on  the  Great  Slave  Lake,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  river  bearing  the  same  appellation.  The 
canoe  of  an  Indian  fisherman  —  of  which  there  are  many 
dwelling  around  the  shores  of  this  great  inland  sea  —  was 
soon  pressed  into  service ;  and  with  the  fisherman  (who 
of  course  was  a  hunter  also)  for  their  guide  and  compan 
ion,  they  could  make  convenient  excursions  along  the 
shores  of  the  lake,  land  whenever  they  pleased,  and 
search  for  Bruin  in  the  localities  where  he  was  most 
likely  to  be  encountered.  In  this  they  were  assisted  by 
their  hired  guide ;  who  was  not  long  in  putting  them 
upon  the  trail  of  a  bear.  In  fact,  in  the  very  first  excur 
sion  which  they  made,  one  of  the  true  breed  was  discov 
ered  and  captured. 

The  circumstances  attending  his  capture  were  of  no 
very  particular  interest ;  but  as  they  illustrate  one  of  the 
habits  of  this  species,  we  shall  give  them  as  recorded  in 
the  journal  of  Alexis. 

They  were  paddling  gently  along  the  shore  —  through 
water  that  was  as  calm  as  a  pond  —  when,  at  a  great  dis 
tance  ahead  of  them,  the  Indian  observed  a  slight  rip 
pling  upon  the  surface,  and  pointed  it  out.  It  was  not 
caused  by  the  wind ;  for  there  was  not  a  breath  stirring 
at  the  time ;  and  it  was  not  like  the  whitish  curl  which  a 
breeze  casts  upon  the  surface  of  water.  It  resembled 
more  a  series  of  little  wavelets,  such  as  proceed  from  a 
stone  plunged  into  a  deep  pool,  or  from  a  disturbance  of 
the  water  caused  by  the  movements  of  some  animal. 
The  Indian  said  that  it  was  a  bear :  though  there  was  no 
bear,  nor  any  living  thing  in  sight ! 


BRUIN    TAKING   A    BATH.  263 

As  the  canoe  moved  nearer,  our  hunters  perceived  that 
there  was  an  indentation  on  the  shore  —  a  little  creek  or 
bay  out  of  which  the  ripples  were  proceeding.  The 
guide  knew  that  there  was  such  a  bay ;  and  believed  that 
the  bear  would  be  found  somewhere  within  it,  swimming 
about  in  the  water. 

The  hunters  did  not  stay  to  inquire  the  reason  why 
Bruin  should  be  thus  bathing  himself.  There  was  no 
time  :  for  just  at  that  instant  the  Indian  beached  his 
canoe ;  and  desired  them  all  to  debark  and  follow  such 
further  instructions  as  he  might  give  them.  Without 
hesitation  they  accepted  his  invitation ;  resolved  to  act 
according  to  his  counsel. 

The  Indian,  after  making  his  boat  fast,  took  the  route 
inland,  followed  by  the  other  three.  After  going  some 
three  or  four  hundred  yards,  he  turned  to  the  left,  and 
conducted  the  party  around  the  shore  of  the  bay  — 
which  trended  in  a  semicircular  or  horseshoe  shape. 
He  did  not  take  all  of  them  around ;  but  only  one,  whom 
he  stationed  on  the  opposite  side.  This  was  Pouchskin. 
Ivan  he  had  already  placed  on  the  nearer  side,  and 
Alexis  at  the  bottom  —  so  that  they  were  thus  set  at  the 
three  angles  of  a  triangle,  nearly  equilateral. 

On  assigning  to  each  of  them  his  station,  the  Indian 
further  instructed  them  to  creep  forward  among  the 
bushes  —  which  still  separated  them  from  the  water  — 
and  to  do  so  without  making  any  noise,  till  they  should 
hear  a  "  whoop  "  from  himself.  This  would  be  the  sig 
nal  for  them  to  show  themselves  around  the  edge  of  the 
bay  —  in  the  water  of  which  the  Indian  hunter  was  con 
fident  a  bear  was  bathing  himself.  He  himself  returned 
to  his  canoe. 


264  BRUIN. 

Agreeably  to  his  instructions,  the  three  hunters  crawled 
forward  —  each  on  his  own  line  of  approach,  and  all  ob 
serving  the  greatest  caution  and  silence.  As  soon  as 
their  eyes  rested  upon  the  water,  they  perceived  the  cor 
rectness  of  the  Indian's  conjecture.  A  bear  there  was, 
sure  enough ! 

They  saw  only  Ms  head ;  but  this  was  sufficient  for 
Bruin's  identification:  since  no  similar  cranium  could 
have  been  encountered  in  such  a  place. 

As  the  Indian  had  apprised  them,  the  bear  was  swim 
ming  about  in  the  bay ;  but  for  what  purpose  it  was  at 
first  difficult  to  make  out.  To  their  astonishment,  he 
swam  with  his  mouth  wide  open  —  so  that  they  could  see 
the  interior  of  his  great  encarmined  palate,  while  his  long 
tongue  flapped  out  at  intervals,  and  appeared  to  sweep 
the  surface  of  the  water.  At  intervals,  too,  he  was  seen 
to  close  his  mouth  —  the  huge  jaws  coming  together  with 
a  "  clap-clap,"  the  noise  of  which  could  be  heard  echoing 
far  over  the  lake ! 

He  did  not  go  long  in  one  course;  but  ever  and  anon 
kept  turning  himself,  and  quartering  the  bay  in  every 
direction. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  the  spectators  could  find  any 
explanation  of  these  odd  manoeuvres  on  the  part  of  the 
bear.  They  might  have  fancied  he  was  merely  taking  a 
cool  bath  to  refresh  himself:  for  the  day  was  exceedingly 
hot,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  mosquitoes  —  as  our  hunt 
ers  had  already  learnt  to  their  great  discomfort.  It  might 
have  been  to  get  rid  of  these  tormentors  that  Bruin  had 
submerged  his  body  in  the  water;  and  so  Pouchskin 
concluded,  and  also  Ivan  —  though  both  were  puzzled 


BRUIN    TAKING   A   BATH.  265 

by  the  odd  behavior  of  the  bear,  in  swimming  open- 
mouthed,  and  at  intervals  snapping  his  jaws  as  he  did. 
Alexis,  however,  was  a  better  reasoner;  and  soon  dis- 
•  covered  the  why  and  the  wherefore  of  these  mysterious 
demonstrations.  Alexis  saw  that  the  surface  of  the 
water  was  thickly  coated  with  something ;  and,  on  scruti 
nizing  it  more  closely,  he  made  out  this  something  to  be 
a  swarm  of  insects.  There  appeared  to  be  more  than 
one  species  of  them  —  two  indeed  there  were  —  both 
about  the  size  of  ordinary  gadflies ;  but  altogether  differ 
ent  from  each  other  in  color  and  habits.  One  was  a  sort 
of  water-beetle  that  swam  near  the  surface ;  while  the 
other  was  a  winged  insect  that  occasionally  rose  into  the 
air,  but  more  generally  crawled  along  the  water  —  mak 
ing  short  runs  from  place  to  place,  then  stopping  a  mo 
ment,  and  then  darting  on  again.  The  whole  surface  of 
the  bay  —  and  even  out  for  some  distance  into  the  lake  — 
fairly  swarmed  with  these  creatures ;  and  it  was  in  pur 
suit  of  them  that  Bruin  was  whisking  his  tongue  so  rap 
idly  about,  and  bringing  his  jaws  together  in  such  sono 
rous  concussion.  The  animal  was  simply  indulging  in  a 
favorite  meal  —  which  in  summer  is  furnished  him  not 
only  on  the  shores  of  the  Great  Slave  Lake,  but  most  of 
jf  the  smaller  lakes  throughout  the  Barren  Grounds. 

Alexis  had  scarce  finished  making  the  observation, 
when  a  loud  "  whoop  "  was  heard  from  the  direction  of 
the  lake ;  and  almost  at  the  same  instant  the  canoe  of 
the  Indian  was  seen  shooting  through  the  water,  right 
for  the  entrance  of  the  bay ! 

Obedient  to  the  signal,  the  three  hunters  rushed  out 
from  their  cover,  and  ran  forward  upon  the  beach  — 
12 


266  BRUIN. 

each  holding  his  gun  in  readiness  to  fire.  The  bear,  see 
ing  himself  thus  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  surrounded, 
at  once  gave  over  his  fly-trapping ;  but,  irresolute  in 
which  direction  to  retreat,  he  turned  round  and  round  in 
the  water,  first  swimming  a  bit  one  way  and  then  another. 
At  length,  rearing  himself  high  above  the  surface,  and 
showing  his  sharp  teeth,  he  uttered  a  deep  growl  of  rage, 
and  dashed  recklessly  towards  the  shore. 

It  was  to  Ivan's  side  he  first  directed  himself;  but  Ivan 
was  upon  the  watch ;  and,  advancing  close  to  the  edge  of 
the  wTater,  he  took  aim  and  fired. 

His  bullet  struck  the  bear  right  upon  the  snout,  and  it 
appeared  to  have  spun  him  round  —  so  quickly  was  he 
seen  heading  in  the  opposite  direction. 

It  was  now  Pouchskin's  turn ;  and  in  a  second  after 
the  loud  report  of  the  grenadier's  gun  went  booming  over 
the  lake,  while  the  ball  splashed  the  water  right  into  the 
eyes  of  the  bear.  Though  it  did  not  hit  any  part  of  his 
body,  it  had  the  effect  of  half  turning  him  —  so  that  he 
now  swam  towards  Alexis,  stationed  at  the  bottom  of 
.the  bay. 

Alexis  took  the  matter  more  coolly.  There  was  a 
convenient  tree  behind  —  to  which  he  intended  to  retreat 
in  case  of  missing  —  and  this  influenced  him  to  hold  his 
ground,  till  the  bear  should  come  near  enough  to  insure 
a  certain  aim. 

The  bear  swam  straight  on,  until  within  some  ten 
yards  of  where  Alexis  was  standing ;  when  all  at  once 
he  appeared  to  take  the  rue,  and  was  turning  off  to  one 
side.  This  was  just  what  Alexis  desired :  it  brought 
the  head  of  the  animal  broadside  towards  him,  and, 


BRUIN   TAKING   A   BATH.  267 

taking  steady  aim,  he  planted  his  bullet  a  little  under 
the  left  ear. 

It  was  a  dead  shot.  The  huge  creature,  loaded  with 
fat,  sank  instantly  to  the  bottom ;  but  fortunately  the 
water  was  shallow ;  and  the  Indian,  now  coming  in  with 
his  canoe,  soon  fished  up  the  carcass,  and  towed  it  out 
upon  the  beach  —  where  its  fur  coat  was  stripped  off  in 
a  trice. 


268  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER     XLVIII. 

THE    GREAT    GRISLY. 

THE  grisly  bear  (ursus  ferox),  the  fiercest  and  most 
formidable  of  the  ursine  family,  was  the  next  to  be  cap 
tured  and  skinned. 

The  range  of  the  grisly,  though  wider  than  that  of  the 
Barren  Ground  bear,  is  still  not  so  extensive  as  that  of 
the  ursus  americanus.  The  great  chain  or  cordillera  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains  may  be  taken  as  the  axis  of  his 
range  —  since  he  is  found  throughout  its  whole  extent, 
from  Mexico  to  its  declension  near  the  shores  of  the 
Arctic  Sea.  Some  writers  have  asserted  that  he  is  con 
fined  to  these  mountains,  but  that  is  an  error.  To  the 
west  of  them  he  is  encountered  throughout  all  the  coun 
tries  lying  between  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Pacific 
coast  —  wherever  circumstances  are  favorable  to  his  ex 
istence  ;  and  to  the  east  he  extends  his  wanderings  for  a 
considerable  distance  into  the  great  plains  —  though  no 
where  so  far  as  to  the  wooded  countries  near  the  merid 
ian  of  the  Mississippi.  In  these  the  black  bear  is  the 
only  forest-ranger  of  the  family. 

Woods  are  not  the  favorite  haunt  of  the  grisly  bear ; 
and  although  in  youth  he  can  make  a  sort  of  scramble 
up  a  tree,  when  full  grown  his  enormous  claws  —  always 


THE    GREAT    GRISLY.  269 

blunted  at  the  tips  —  hinder  him  from  climbing.  Low, 
bushy  thickets,  with  open  glades  intervening  —  and  espe 
cially  where  the  underwood  consists  of  berry-bearing 
bushes  —  are  his  chosen  retreats.  He  often  sallies  out 
into  the  open  ground ;  and  on  those  prairies  where  grows 
the  pomme  blanche,  or  "Indian  turnip"  (psorolea  escu- 
lenta),  he  may  be  seen  tearing  up  the  earth  with  his 
claws,  and  leaving  it  turned  into  furrows  —  as  if  a  drove 
of  hogs  had  been  "  rooting  "  the  ground.  On  the  bottoms 
of  the  streams  he  also  digs  up  the  "  kamas "  root  (ca- 
massia  esculenta),i\iz  "yampah"  (anethum  graveolens), 
the  "kooyah"  (valeriana  edulis),  and  the  root  of  a  spe 
cies  of  thistle  (circium  virginianum).  Many  species  of 
fruits  and  berries  furnish  him  with  an  occasional  meal ; 
and  the  sweet  pods  of  the  mesquites  (species  of  acacia), 
and  the  cones  of  the  pinon-tree  (pinus  edulis)  form  por 
tions  of  his  varied  larder. 

He  does  not,  however,  confine  himself  to  a  vegetable 
diet.  Like  most  of  his  kind,  he  is  also  carnivorous,  and 
will  dine  off  the  carcass  of  a  horse  or  buffalo.  The 
latter  animal,  notwithstanding  its  enormous  bulk  and 
strength,  frequently  falls  a  prey  to  the  grisly  bear.  The 
long  masses  of  hair  that  hang  over  the  eyes  of  the 
buffalo  hinder  it  from  perceiving  the  presence  of  an 
enemy ;  and,  unless  warned  by  the  scent,  it  is  easily 
approached.  The  bear,  knowing  this,  steals  up  against 
the  wind ;  and,  when  within  safe  distance,  springs  upon 
the  hind  quarters  of  the  ruminant,  and  cramping  it  in 
his  great  claws,  succeeds  in  dragging  it  to  the  ground. 
He  is  even  able  to  transport  the  huge  carcass  to  a  con 
siderable  distance  —  for  the  purpose  of  conceah'ng  it  in 
some  thicket,  and  devouring  it  at  his  leisure. 


270  BRUIN. 

The  grisly  bear  is  more  like  to  the  brown  bear  of 
Europe  than  to  any  other  species  of  the  genus.  His  fur 
is  long  and  shaggy  —  not  presenting  the  even  surface 
which  characterizes  the  coat  of  the  black  bear.  It  is 
generally  of  a  dark-brown  color  —  the  hair  being  whiti&h 
at  the  tips,  more  especially  during  the  summer  season, 
when  it  becomes  lighter  colored.  The  head  is  always 
of  a  grizzled  gray ;  and  it  is  this  appearance  that  has 
obtained  for  the  animal  its  specific  name.  There  are 
brown,  reddish-brown,  bay  or  cinnamon-colored,  and 
white-breasted  varieties  of  the  black  bear ;  but  the  In 
dians  can  distinguish  all  these  from  the  true  grisly  at 
a  glance.  In  all  of  the  latter,  where  there  are  white 
hairs  intermingled  with  the  fur,  it  is  always  observable 
that  these  odd  hairs  are  white  to  the  roots  ;  whereas  the 
hoary  appearance  of  the  grisly  is  caused  by  only  the  tips 
of  the  hair  being  white.  This  characteristic  is  constant ; 
and  would  of  itself  justify  a  distinction  being  made  be 
tween  the  species ;  but  there  are  many  other  points  of 
greater  importance.  The  ears  of  the  grisly  are  shorter, 
more  conical,  and  set  wider  apart  than  in  either  the 
ursus  americanus  or  arctos.  His  claws  are  white,  arched, 
far  longer,  and  broader  than  those  of  the  other  bears  — 
their  greatest  breadth  being  across  their  upper  surface. 
Underneath  they  are  chamfered  away  to  a  sharp  edge ; 
and  projecting  far  beyond  the  hair  of  the  foot,  they  cut 
like  chisels  when  the  animal  strikes  a  blow  with  them. 
His  huge  paw  is  both  broader  and  longer  than  that  of 
other  bears  ;  while  his  tail,  on  the  other  hand,  is  short 
and  inconspicuous  —  being  completely  buried  under  the 
fur  of  his  buttocks.  So  characteristic  is  this  appendage 


THE    GREAT    GEISLY.  271 

for  its  extreme  shortness,  that  it  is  a  standing  joke  among 
the  Indians  —  when  they  have  killed  a  grisly  bear  —  to 
desire  any  one  unacquainted  with  the  animal,  to  take 
hold  of  its  tail ! 

This  appendage  in  the  ursus  americanus  and  ursus 
arctos  is  conspicuous  enough  ;  and  in  the  Barren  Ground 
bear  is  still  longer  than  in  either. 

There  could  be  no  possibility  of  mistaking  an  old  or 
full-grown  grisly  for  any  of  the  kindred  species.  Both 
in  size  and  aspect  he  is  different.  It  is  only  in  the  case 
of  young  or  half-grown  specimens  where  a  mistake  of 
this  kind  is  likely  to  be  made.  The  enormous  size  of 
the  old  males  —  often  weighing  1,000  Ibs.,  and  quite 
equalling  the  largest  individuals  of  the  ursus  maritimus 
—  renders  them  easy  of  identification  ;  though  it  is  cer 
tain  that  under  favorable  circumstances  the  ursus  arctos 
often  attains  to  a  similar  bulk. 

In  ferocity  of  disposition,  however,  in  carnivorous 
inclination,  and  in  strength  and  power  to  carry  out  his 
mischievous  propensities,  no  bear,  not  even  the  ursus 
maritimus,  appears  to  be  a  match  for  this  monster  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  The  hunter  never  thinks  of  attacking 
him,  unless  when  assisted  by  a  number  of  his  comrades  ; 
and  even  then  it  may  be  a  fatal  encounter  for  one  or 
more  of  them.  Were  it  not  for  the  advantage  obtained 
by  their  being  mounted  on  horseback,  the  grisly  would 
always  have  a  wide  berth  given  him ;  but  fortunately 
this  fierce  quadruped  is  unable  to  overtake  the  mounted 
hunter  —  although  he  can  easily  come  up  with  a  man  on 
foot. 

As  to  fearing  or  running  away  from  a  human  antago- 


272  BKCIN. 

nist,  the  younger  grislies  may  sometimes  do  so ;  but  when 
an  old  male  has  been  attacked  the  case  is  quite  different. 
A  full-grown  individual  will  stand  his  ground  against  a 
crowd  of  assailants  —  charging  from  one  to  the  other, 
and  showing  fight  so  long  as  there  is  breath  in  his  body. 

The  number  of  Indian  and  white  hunters  who  have 
either  been  killed  or  badly  mutilated  by  grisly  bears 
is  almost  incredible.  Were  it  not  that  these  men  are 
usually  mounted  on  good  horses  the  list  would  have  been 
still  greater  ;  and  his  intended  victims  often  find  another 
means  of  escaping  from  his  claws  —  by  taking  to  a  tree. 

Fortunate  it  is  that  nature  has  not  bestowed  upon  the 
grisly  the  power  of  tree-climbing ;  else  many  a  pursued 
hunter,  who  has  succeeded  in  gaining  the  branches  of  a 
friendly  cottonwood,  might  have  found  his  refuge  any 
thing  but  a  secure  one. 

In  fact,  climbing  into  a  tree  —  when  one  can  be 
reached  —  is  the  common  resource  of  all  persons  pur 
sued  by  the  grisly  bear ;  and  by  this  means  did  our 
hunters  themselves  escape  from  a  brace  of  infuriated 
grislies,  while  engaged  in  hunting  these  formidable 
animals. 


A  FUR-TRADER'S  FORT.  273 


CHAPTER    XLIX. 
A  FUR-TRADER'S  FORT. 

HAVING  settled  their  accounts  with  Bruin  of  the 
Barren  Grounds,  our  travellers  proceeded  down  the 
Mackenzie  river  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  post  of  Fort 
Simpson.  Thence  they  ascended  a  large  tributary  of 
the  Mackenzie,  known  as  the  "  River  of  the  Moun 
tains," —  or  as  the  Canadian  voyagers  call  it,  Riviere 
aux  Liards.  This  large  stream  has  its  sources  far 
beyond  the  highest  peaks  of  the  Rocky  Mountains : 
thus  exhibiting  the  curious  phenomenon  of  a  river, 
breaking  through  a  chain  of  mountains  in  a  transverse 
direction ;  though  the  same  occurs  in  several  other  parts 
of  the  Rocky  Mountain  range,  and  also  in  the  Andes 
of  South  America.  On  the  Riviere  aux  Liards  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  have  several  posts  —  as  Forts 
Simpson,  Liard,  and  Halkett  —  the  last  mentioned  being 
far  up  among  the  mountains.  Westward  again,  upon 
the  Pacific  side,  they  have  other  trading-stations  —  the 
most  important  of  which  is  that  of  PSlly's  Banks,  situ 
ated  at  the  junction  of  Lewis  and  Pelly  rivers.  These 
rivers,  after  joining,  run  into  the  Pacific,  not  far  from 
Mount  St.  Elios  —  long  noted  as  a  landmark  to  the 
navigators  of  the  North  Pacific  ocean. 

12*  R 


274  BRUIN. 

From  Fort  Hulkett,  a  route  has  been  established  to 
the  post  at  Felly's  Banks  by  means  of  Dease's  river  — 
which  is  one  of  the  effluents  of  the  Riviere  aux  Liards 
—  and,  partly  by  canoe  navigation  and  partly  by  "  port 
age,"  the  continent  can  be  crossed  in  this  northern  lati 
tude.  From  Felly's  Banks  to  the  Pacific  coast  the  route 
is  still  easier  —  for  not  only  do  the  Russians  visit  these 
parts,  but  there  are  native  Indian  traders  who  go  twice 
every  year  from  Felly's  Banks  to  Sitka  —  the  entrepot 
of  the  Russian  Fur  Company  —  and  the  Lynn  channel,  a 
little  to  the  north  of  Sitka,  is  also  visited  by  the  steamers 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  itself. 

Our  travellers  would  therefore  have  no  difficulty  in 
reaching  Sitka ;  and  thence  crossing  to  the  peninsula  of 
Kamschatka,  on  the  Asiatic  coast.  On  their  way  over 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  they  would  be  certain  to  fall  in 
with  the  grisly ;  and  in  the  countries  lying  along  the 
Facific,  they  could  obtain  that  variety  of  the  ursus 
americanus,  known  as  the  "  cinnamon  bear "  —  for  it  is 
to  the  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  —  in  California, 
Oregon,  British  Columbia,  and  Russian  America  —  that 
this  spice-colored  species  is  most  frequently  met  with. 

A  party  of  fur-traders  and  trappers  were  just  starting 
from  Fort  Simpson  to  carry  supplies  up  to  the  posts  of 
Liard  and  Halkett ;  and  along  with  them  our  travellers 
went. 

On  reaching  the  last-named  station,  they  came  to  a 
halt,  for  the  purpose  of  hunting  the  grisly. 

They  were  not  long  in  starting  their  game  —  for  this 
fierce  monster  of  the  mountains  is  far  from  being  a  scarce 
animal.  In  fact,  in  those  districts  which  they  choose  for 


A  FDR-TRADER'S  FORT.  275 

their  "beat,"  the  grisly  bears  are  more  numerous  than 
most  other  quadrupeds ;  and  not  unfrequently  half  a 
dozen  or  more  of  them  may  be  seen  together.  It  is  not 
that  they  are  gregarious  ;  but  simply,  that,  being  in  con 
siderable  numbers  in  a  particular  neighborhood,  accident 
thus  brings  them  together.  To  see  troops  of  four  as 
sociating  together  is  very  common ;  but  these  are  merely 
the  members  of  one  family  — -  male,  female,  and  yearling 
cubs  —  for  two  is  the  number  of  the  progeny  —  the 
grisly  bear  in  this  respect  resembling  his  congener  of  the 
ursus  maritimus,  and  differing  as  essentially  from  the 
black  and  brown  bears  —  with  whom  three  is  the  usual 
number  of  cubs  at  a  birth. 

There  are  good  reasons  why  the  grisly  bears  are  not 
in  much  danger  of  being  exterminated.  In  the  first 
place,  their  flesh  is  of  inferior  quality.  Even  the  Indians 
will  not  eat  it ;  while  they  relish  that  of  the  black  species. 
Secondly,  their  robe  is  of  scarce  any  value,  and  fetches 
but  a  trifling  price  in  the  fur  market.  Thirdly  —  and 
perhaps  the  most  powerful  reason  of  all  —  is  that  the 
hunter  cares  not  to  risk  his  life  in  an  encounter  with 
these  animals,  knowing  that  there  is  no  adequate  reward 
for  such  risk.  For  this  reason  "  Old  Ephraim  "  —  as  the 
trappers  jocosely  style  the  grisly  —  is  usually  permitted 
to  go  his  way  without  molestation ;  and,  therefore,  instead 
of  being  thinned  off  by  an  exterminating  chase  —  such 
as  is  pursued  against  the  buffalo,  or  even  the  black  bear, 
whose  robe  is  marketable  —  the  grisly  maintains  his 
numerical  strength  in  most  places  where  he  is  found. 

At  Fort  Halkett  —  in  consequence  of  a  scarcity  of 
hands,  and  the  great  pressure  of  business,  in  forwarding 


276  BRUIN. 

the  brigade  onward  to  the  Pelly  Station  —  our  young 
hunters  were  unable  to  obtain  a  guide ;  and  therefore 
started  out  for  the  chase  alone  —  Pouchskin,  of  course, 
being  one  of  the  party. 

The  trading-post  of  Fort  Halkett  being  situated  in  the 
midst  of  the  wildest  region  —  without  any  cultivated 
ground  or  other  settlement  around  it  —  they  would  not 
have  far  to  go  before  finding  a  grisly.  Indeed,  they  were 
as  likely  to  meet  with  one  in  sight  of  the  Fort  as  any 
where  else ;  and  from  the  moment  of  passing  through 
the  gate  of  the  stockade  they  were  on  the  lookout. 

They  had  not  the  good  fortune,  however,  to  meet  with 
one  so  very  easily,  for  although  they  came  upon  the  traces 
of  bears,  and  saw  numerous  signs  of  them,  they  could 
not  set  eyes  upon  them ;  and  returned  from  their  first 
excursion  rather  disheartened  with  their  day's  work. 

In  one  thing,  however,  they  had  their  reward.  They 
had  succeeded  in  shooting  one  of  the  rarest  animals  of 
America,  a  creature  only  met  with  in  the  more  northern 
districts  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  —  that  is,  the  "  Rocky- 
Mountain  goat"  (capra  americana).  This  rare  quad 
ruped  —  whose  long,  snow-white,  silky  hair  renders  it 
one  of  the  most  attractive  of  animals  —  is  a  true  wild 
goat ;  and  the  only  species  of  the  genus  indigenous  to 
America.  It  is  about  the  size  of  the  common  domestic 
breeds,  and  horned  as  they ;  but  the  shining  hair  over  its 
flanks  and  body  is  frequently  so  long  as  to  hang  down 
almost  to  its  hoofs,  giving  the  animal  the  appearance  of 
having  a  much  heavier  body  and  much  shorter  legs  than 
it  really  has.  Like  the  ibex  of  Europe,  it  is  only  met 
with  on  the  loftiest  summits  of  the  mountains,  upon 


A  FUR-TRADER'S  FORT.  277 

peaks  and  cliffs  inaccessible  to  almost  every  other  quad 
ruped  —  the  mountain  sheep  alone  excepted.  It  is 
much  shyer  than  the  latter,  and  far  more  difficult  of 
approach  —  the  consequence  being,  that  its  beautiful 
skin,  though  highly  prized,  and  commanding  a  good 
price,  is  but  rarely  obtained,  even  by  the  most  expert 
hunters. 

Having  succeeded  in  bringing  down  one  of  these 
precious  animals,  our  young  hunters  were  satisfied  with 
their  day's  work  —  almost  as  well  as  if  it  had  been  a 
grisly  they  had  killed. 

On  their  second  day's  excursion,  however,  this  feat 
was  also  accomplished  —  as  we  shall  now  proceed  to 
relate. 


278  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    L. 

TREED   BY    OLD    EPHRAIM. 

THEY  had  got  about  a  mile  from  the  Fort ;  and  were 
proceeding  cautiously  along  through  a  hilly  country, 
where  thicket-like  groves  grew,  interspersed  with  patches 
of  open  ground,  forming  park-like  scenery.  There  are 
many  scenes  of  this  character  in  the  valleys  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains ;  and  in  the  more  northern  latitudes  these 
groves  often  consist  of  berry-bearing  bushes  —  such  as 
wild  currants,  bird  and  choke-cherries,  the  amelanchier 
and  hippophde  canadensis.  Of  all  these  fruits  the  grisly 
bear  is  known  to  be  exceedingly  fond ;  and  as  the  thick 
ets  among  which  our  hunters  had  entered  contained  many 
trees  of  the  above  kinds  —  at  that  season  drooping  under 
their  ripe  fruit  —  it  was  but  reasonable  to  expect  they 
might  find  some  of  the  grislies  engaged  in  gathering 
them.  They  had  been  told  at  the  fort  that  this  was  a 
favorite  browsing-place  of  the  bear ;  and,  as  they  passed 
along  they  had  evidence  of  the  correctness  of  the  infor 
mation  by  seeing  the  cherry-trees  with  their  branches 
broken  —  and  some  of  the  stems  pulled  down  into  a 
slanting  position,  —  evidently  done  by  the  bears  to  en 
able  them  to  get  conveniently  at  the  fruit.  From  the 
trees  that  had  been  treated  in  this  rough  manner  all  the 


TKEED    BY   OLD    EPHEAIM.  279 

fruit  had  been  stripped  off  as  clean  as  if  a  party  of 
"  cherry-pickers  "  had  passed  that  way. 

The  ravages  exhibited  a  very  recent  sign.  Most  of 
them  must  have  been  done  within  a  week ;  and  one  tree 
looked  as  freshly  torn,  as  if  it  had  been  pulled  about  that 
very  morning. 

Of  course,  with  such  indications  before  their  eyes,  our 
hunters  were  advancing  on  the  qui  vive  —  not  knowing 
the  instant  that  Bruin  might  break  out. 

It  would  not  be  correct  to  say  that  they  were  proceed 
ing  with  caution.  Had  they  been  sufficiently  cautious, 
they  would  not  have  been  there  afoot.  Of  course  they 
were  on  foot  —  since  no  horses  could  be  procured  in 
these  parts.  To  go  afoot  in  pursuit  of  such  game  as 
grisly  bears  was  the  height  of  indiscretion;  and  the 
traders  had  told  them  so ;  but  they  made  light  of  what 
they  had  been  told,  for  two  reasons,  —  first,  because  it 
was  absolutely  necessary  they  should  kill  a  grisly  and 
strip  him  of  his  skin  ;  and  secondly,  because  our  young 
hunters,  Pouchskin  as  well,  had  but  a  very  indefinite 
idea  of  the  risk  they  were  running.  They  had  heard 
that  the  grisly  was  one  of  the  fiercest  of  its  kind ;  but 
because  it  was  called  a  bear,  and  they  had  now  hunted 
and  killed  so  many  other  bears,  they  fancied  this  one 
might  be  as  easily  conquered  as  any  of  its  congeners. 
They  had  heard  that  these  animals  often  turn  tail  and 
run  away  at  sight  of  man ;  but  these  stories  are  decep 
tive.  The  bears  that  do  so  are  either  juvenile  grislies  or 
brown  individuals  of  the  ursus  americanus  —  which  are 
often  mistaken  for  the  grisly. 

With  "  Old  Ephraim  "  himself  the  case  is  quite  differ- 


280  BRUIN. 

ent,  as  we  have  already  said.  On  sight  of  a  human 
enemy,  instead  of  running  away,  the  grisly  more  fre 
quently  runs  towards  him,  charging  forward  with  open 
mouth,  and  often  without  having  received  the  slightest 
provocation. 

Of  this  fact  our  hunteps  had  proof  almost  upon  the  in 
stant.  They  had  entered  a  wide  tract,  sparsely  covered 
with  trees ;  but  such  small  trees,  and  so  thinly  standing 
over  the  ground,  that  the  hunters  might  have  fancied 
them  to  have  been  planted ;  and  that  they  were  entering 
within  the  boundaries  of  some  old  orchard.  The  tract 
thus  characterized  was  about  five  or  six  acres  in  super 
ficial  extent ;  and  surrounded  by  the  same  kind  of  cop 
pice  that  covered  most  of  the  face  of  the  country. 

Under  the  thin  trees  there  was  neither  underwood,  nor 
long  grass ;  and  they  could  see  between  their  trunks  in 
every  direction,  to  the  edge  of  the  jungle  that  grew 
around. 

"While  walking  quietly  along,  a  singular  noise  reached 
their  ears,  that  caused  them  suddenly  to  halt  in  their 
tracks.  It  caused  them  to  turn  also :  for  the  noise  ap 
peared  to  come  from  behind  them.  It  resembled  the 
hurried  breathing  of  a  person  badly  afflicted  with  asthma ; 
but  so  much  louder,  that  if  it  had  proceeded  from  human 
lungs,  they  could  only  have  been  those  of  an  asthmatic 
giant ! 

It  was,  in  reality,  a  gigantic  creature  that  produced  the 
noise :  since  it  was  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  grisly 
bear.  Not  one  alone,  but  a  brace  of  these  monstrous 
animals  —  a  male  and  female,  no  douJ3t  —  were  seen  at 
that  moment  by  the  edge  of  the  thicket,  out  of  which  the 


TREED    BY    OLD    EPHBAIM.  281 

hunters  had  just  emerged.  Both  were  standing  on  their 
hind  limbs,  and  both  uttering  the  strange  snuffing  noise 
that  had  attracted  attention  to  them.  Other  noises  were 
now  mingled  with  these  —  sharp  querulous  grunts  — 
and,  by  the  gestures  which  the  bears  were  making,  it 
was  evident  they  not  only  saw  the  three  hunters  in  the 
open  ground,  but  were  reconnoitring  them,  perhaps  with 
an  intention  to  make  an  attack  upon  them ! 

Our  hunters  were  quite  taken  aback.  They  had  ex 
pected,  at  least,  to  have  been  allowed  the  initiative  in 
any  conflict  that  might  occur ;  but  they  now  saw  that, 
instead  of  being  the  assailing  party,  they  were  likely  to 
be  the  assailed ! 

They  had  no  time  for  deliberation ;  for  the  brace  of 
bears,  apparently  having  satisfied  themselves  with  their 
threatening  demonstrations,  dropped  down  on  all-fours, 
and  came  galloping  onward  —  almost  as  fast  as  horses 
could  have  done ! 

The  three  hunters  fired  at  once ;  and  not  without 
effect :  for  one  of  the  bears  fell  to  their  shots.  It  was 
the  smaller  one,  and  that  which  had  been  foremost.  Act 
ing  without  concert,  they  had  all  aimed  at  the  same  ani 
mal  —  choosing  that  which  was  nearest ;  and  this  was 
unfortunate,  for  had  some  one  of  them  sighted  the  other 
and  bigger  bear,  they  might  have  given  him  a  wound  that 
would  have,  at  least,  crippled  him. 

As  it  was,  he  had  neither  been  shot  at,  nor  touched ; 
and  the  fall  of  his  mate  —  for  it  was  the  male  who  sur 
vived  —  now  so  completely  exasperated  him,  that  he 
rushed  on  with  the  full  determination  to  deal  death 
among  the  enemies  who  had  bereaved  him. 


BRUIN. 

It  was  fortunate  that  he  stopped  a  moment  over  his 
fallen  companion.  He  did  so  as  if  to  convince  himself 
that  she  was  dead.  It  was  only  for  an  instant ;  but  a 
precious  instant  that  was  to  all  three  of  the  hunters.  It 
gave  them  sufficient  time  to  take  to  a  tree  —  each  spring 
ing  up  to  the  one  that  was  most  convenient.  Alexis  and 
Ivan  being  young  and  nimble,  easily  accomplished  this 
feat ;  but  it  cost  Pouchskin  an  effort ;  and  he  came  very 
near  making  it  in  vain.  He  had  got  his  arms  over  a 
branch,  and  was  drawing  his  great  booted  legs  after  him ; 
but,  before  he  could  raise  them  to  a  sufficient  height,  the 
bear  had  arrived  upon  the  ground,  and  reared  upward  to 
seize  him. 

Ivan  and  Alexis  uttered  a  simultaneous  shout  of  alarm. 
They  saw  the  shaggy  fore-arms  of  the  quadruped  doubled 
around  the  legs  of  their  faithful  follower  ;  and  were  look 
ing  to  see  Pouchskin  in  another  moment  pulled  down 
from  the  tree.  What  was  their  delight,  as  well  as  aston 
ishment,  on  seeing  the  bear  fall  "  slap  "  back  to  the  earth 
—  with  one  of  the  ex-grenadier's  great  boots  fast  clutched 
between  his  paws  —  while  Pouchskin  himself  was  seen 
gliding  upward  to  the  top  branches  of  the  tree  ! 

A  shout  of  joy  followed  the  cry  of  alarm  to  which 
they  had  just  given  utterance  ;  and  without  another  word 
all  three  hastened  to  reload  their  guns. 

Meanwhile  the  disappointed  bear  appeared  determined 
to  revenge  himself  on  the  boot ;  and  for  some  seconds 
continued  to  tear  it  —  both  with  teeth  and  claws  —  till 
nothing  of  its  original  shape  remained.  Then,  scattering 
the  fragments  over  the  ground,  he  desisted  from  this  idle 
employment ;  and  rushed  back  to  the  trunk  of  the  tree 


TREED    BY    OLD    EPHRAIM.  283 

up  which  Pouchskin  had  climbed.  He  knew  —  from 
having  often  made  the  experiment  —  that  he  could  not 
climb  it ;  nor  did  he  attempt  to  do  so ;  but  seizing  the 
slender  trunk  in  his  powerful  grasp,  he  shook  the  tree 
backward  and  forward,  as  if  endeavoring  to  drag  it  up  by 
the  roots  or  throw  it  to  the  ground. 

For  some  time  our  hunters  were  not  without  appre 
hensions  that  he  might  succeed.  The  tree  was  not  big 
ger  than  an  ordinary  pear-tree  ;  and  its  trunk  vibrated 
from  side  to  side,  and  bent  over  to  such  an  extent,  that 
its  roots  could  be  heard  cracking  beneath  the  ground. 

Pouchskin,  far  up  in  the  top,  was  tossed  backward  and 
forward  —  as  if  he  had  been  a  shuttlecock  between  two 
battledoors  —  and  it  was  just  as  much  as  he  could  do  to 
keep  his  hold  among  the  branches,  much  less  finish  the 
loading  of  his  fusil,  winch  he  had  only  half  accomplished 
when  the  rocking  began.  Had  he  been  alone,  his  posi 
tion  would  have  been  one  of  great  danger :  for  no  doubt, 
in  process  of  time,  the  bear  would  have  torn  down  the 
tree.  But  the  efforts  of  Bruin  were  brought  to  a  sudden 
termination :  for  Ivan  and  Alexis,  having  now  reloaded, 
took  careful  aim,  and  sent  both  their  bullets  into  the  body 
of  the  beast.  One  of  the  shots  must  have  hit  him  in  a 
mortal  part :  since,  on  receiving  it,  the  bear  let  go  his 
hold,  dropped  down  from  his  erect  attitude,  and  doubling 
himself  up  at  the  bottom  of  the  tree,  looked  as  if  he  had 
suddenly  gone  to  sleep !  But  the  red  stream,  pouring 
out  from  his  still  distended  jaws,  told  that  it  was  the  sleep 
of  death  that  had  overtaken  him. 

Our  hunters,  assured  that  both  bears  were  dead,  now 
descended  from  their  respective  perches;  but  the  sight 


284  BRUIN. 

of  Pouchskin,  with  one  leg  in  stocking,  and  the  other 
buried  up  to  the  thigh  in  a  great  horse-skin  boot,  would 
have  been  too  much  for  the  gravity  of  a  judge,  and  his 
young  masters  were  once  more  merry  at  his  expense. 

Having  skinned  the  bears,  they  returned  to  the  fort 
with  their  spoils  —  to  the  no  slight  astonishment  of  some 
of  the  old  trappers  stationed  there.  They  could  scarce 
believe  that  these  young  strangers  were  capable  of 
accomplishing  such  a  feat  as  the  conquest  of  a  couple 
of  full-grown  grislies.  The  thing  had  been  done,  how 
ever —  as  the  trophies  testified — and  it  is  needless  to 
say  that  our  hunters,  by  this  gallant  action,  gained  golden 
opinions  from  the  "  mountain  men." 

They  had  no  desire,  however,  to  try  another  contest 
of  the  kind.  They  had  become  perfectly  satisfied  of  the 
great  peril  to  be  expected  in  an  encounter  with  "  Old 
Ephraim ; "  and  were  only  too  well  pleased  of  having  it 
in  their  power,  on  all  future  occasions,  to  imitate  the 
example  of  other  travellers,  and  give  the  grisly  a  "  wide 
berth." 

Indeed,  they  would  have  had  no  opportunity,  had  they 
desired  it,  to  hunt  the  bear  any  longer  in  that  neighbor 
hood  :  for  the  "  boat "  brigade,  writh  which  they  were 
travelling,  started  the  next  day  for  Fort  Pelly ;  and  it 
was  necessary  for  them  to  accompany  it,  as  the  journey 
could  not  otherwise  be  accomplished. 

They  arrived  at  this  last-named  place  in  safety ;  and, 
with  some  native  traders,  that  chanced  to  be  at  the  fort, 
they  were  enabled  to  proceed  onward  to  the  Russian 
settlement  of  Sitka  —  where  the  magic  cipher  which 
Alexis  carried  in  his  pocket  procured  them  the  most 


TREED    BY   OLD    EPHRAIM.  285 

hospitable    treatment   that   such    a   wild,  out-of-the-way 
place  could  afford. 

They  had  been  fortunate,  upon  their  route,  to  procure 
a  skin  of  the  "  cinnamon "  bear  —  as  well  as  one  of 
black  color  with  a  white  breast,  both  of  which  Alexis 
was  able  to  identify  as  mere  varieties  of  the  ursus 
americanus.  These  varieties  are  sometimes  seen  to  the 
east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains ;  but  they  are  far  more 
common  throughout  the  countries  along  the  Pacific  — 
and  especially  in  Russian  America,  where  the  cinnamon- 
colored  kind  is  usually  termed  the  "red  bear."  They 
occur,  moreover,  in  the  Aleutian  islands ;  and  very  prob 
ably  in  Japan  and  Kamschatka  —  in  which  country- 
bears  are  exceedingly  numerous  —  evidently  of  several 
species,  confusedly  described  and  ill  identified.  Unfor 
tunately,  the  Russian  naturalists  —  whose  special  duty  it 
has  been  to  make  known  the  natural  history  of  the 
countries  lying  around  the  North  Pacific  —  have  done 
their  work  in  a  slovenly  and  childlike  manner. 


286  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    LI. 

THE   KAMSCHATDALES. 

THE  bear  of  Kamschatka  had  to  be  skinned  next. 
But  it  was  necessary  to  catch  one  before  he  could  be 
skinned ;  and  also  necessary  to  go  to  Kamschatka  be 
fore  he  could  be  caught.  To  get  to  Kamschatka  was  not 
so  difficult  as  it  may  sound  to  the  ear.  Our  travellers 
were  just  in  the  place  from  which  it  was  possible  to  pro 
ceed  direct  to  this  Asiatic  peninsula.  Vessels  belonging 
to  the  Russian  Fur  Company  every  year  collect  the  furs 
along  the  northwest  coast  of  America,  and  among  the 
Fox  and  Aleutian  islands  —  Sitka  being  their  port  of 
rendezvous.  Thence  proceeding  to  the  harbor  of  St. 
Peter  and  St.  Paul  (Petropaulouski),  on  the  coast  of 
Kamschatka,  they  complete  their  cargoes  with  the  "  skin 
crop  "  that  during  the  winter  has  been  collected  through 
out  the  peninsula.  Thence  to  China  a  portion  of  these 
furs  are  taken  —  especially  skins  of  the  sable,  which  the 
Chinese  mandarins  use  extensively  for  trimming  their 
costly  robes  j  and  for  which  teas,  silk,  lacquer-ware,  and 
other  articles  of  Chinese  manufacture  are  given  in  ex 
change. 

The  Japanese  also,  and  other  wealthy  Oriental  nations, 
buy  up  quantities  of  costly  furs ;  but  by  far  the  greater 


THE   KAMSCHATDALES.  287 

portion  of  this  produce  is  consumed  by  the  Russians 
themselves  —  in  whose  cold  climate  some  sort  of  a  fur  coat 
is  almost  a  necessity.  Even  most  of  the  furs  collected 
by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  find  their  way  into 
Russia:  for  the  consumption  of  these  goods  in  Great 
Britain  is  extremely  limited,  compared  with  that  of 
many  other  articles  de  luxe. 

In  the  fur-ship  our  travellers  proceeded  from  Sitka  to 
the  port  of  Petropaulouski,  which  is  situated  on  Avatcha 
bay,  near  the  southern  end  of  the  peninsula. 

As  Avatcha  bay  is  nearly  land-locked,  it  forms  one  of 
the  most  sheltered  harbors  on  that  side  of  the  Pacific ; 
but  unfortunately  during  winter  the  bay  freezes  over ; 
and  then  ships  can  neither  get  into  nor  out  of  it. 

The  vessel  which  carried  our  adventurers  arrived  at 
Petropaulouski  late  in  the  spring ;  but,  as  the  winter  had 
been  unusually  prolonged,  the  bay  was  still  blocked  up 
with  ice,  and  the  ship  could  not  get  up  to  the  little  town. 
This  did  not  hinder  them  from  landing.  Dog-sledges 
were  brought  out  upon  the  ice  by  the  inhabitants  ;  and 
upon  these  our  travellers  were  carried  to  the  town,  or 
"  ostrog  "  as  it  is  called  —  such  being  the  name  given  to 
the  villages  of  Kamschatka. 

In  Petropaulouski,  many  curious  objects  and  customs 
came  under  the  observation  of  our  travellers.  They  saw 
no  less  than  three  kinds  of  houses  —  first,  the  "  isbas," 
built  of  logs,  and  not  unlike  the  log-cabins  of  America. 
These  are  the  best  sort  of  dwellings  ;  and  belong  to  the 
Russian  merchants  and  officials,  who  reside  there  —  as 
well  as  to  the  Cossack  soldiers,  who  are  kept  by  the 
Russian  Government  in  Kamschatka. 


288  BRUIN. 

The  native  Kamschatdales  have  two  kinds  of  houses 
of  indigenous  architecture  —  one  for  summer,  the  "  bala- 
gan,"  and  another  to  which  they  retire  during  the  winter, 
called  the  "jourt."  The  balagan  is  constructed  of  poles 
and  thatch  upon  a  raised  platform  —  to  which  the  Kain- 
schatdale  climbs  up  by  means  of  a  notched  trunk  of  a 
tree.  There  is  only  one  story  of  the  house  itself —  which 
is  merely  the  sloping  thatched  roof —  with  a  hole  in  the 
top  to  give  passage  to  the  smoke  —  and  resembles  a 
rough  tent  or  hayrick  set  upon  an  elevated  stand.  The 
space  under  the  platform  is  left  open ;  and  serves  as  a 
storehouse  for  the  dried  fish,  that  forms  the  staple  food 
of  all  sorts  of  people  in  Kamschatka.  Here,  too,  the 
sledges  and  sledge-harness  are  kept ;  and  the  dogs,  of 
which  every  family  owns  a  large  pack,  use  this  lower 
story  as  a  sleeping-place. 

The  winter  house  or  "  jourt,"  is  constructed  very  dif 
ferently.  It  is  a  great  hole  sunk  in  the  ground  to  the 
depth  of  eight  or  ten  feet,  lined  round  the  sides  with 
pieces  of  timber,  and  roofed  over  above  the  surface  of 
the  ground  —  so  as  to  look  like  the  rounded  dome  of  a 
large  bake-oven.  A  hole  at  the  apex  is  intended  for  the 
chimney,  but  it  is  also  the  door :  since  there  is  no  other 
mode  of  entrance  into  the  jourt,  and  the  interior  is  reached 
by  descending  a  notched  tree-trunk  —  similar  to  that  used 
in  climbing  up  to  the  balagan. 

The  curious  fur  dresses  of  the  Kamschatdales ;  their 
thin,  yellowish-white  dogs,  resembling  the  Pomeranian 
breed  ;  their  dog-sledges,  which  they  use  for  travelling  in 
winter  ;  the  customs  and  habits  of  these  singular  people ; 
all  formed  an  interesting  study  to  our  travellers,  and  en- 


THE    KAMSCHATDALES.  289 

riched  their  journal  with  notes  and  observations.  We 
find  it  recorded  there,  how  those  people  spend  their  time 
and  obtain  their  subsistence.  Very  little  agriculture  is 
practised  by  them  —  the  climate  being  unfavorable  to 
the  growth  of  the  cereals.  In  some  parts  barley  and 
rye  are  cultivated ;  but  only  to  a  very  limited  extent. 
Cattle  are  scarce  —  a  few  only  being  kept  by  the  Russian 
and  Cossack  settlers  ;  and  horses  are  equally  rare,  such 
as  there  are  belonging  to  the  officials  of  the  Government, 
and  used  for  Government  purposes.  The  common  or 
"  native  "  people  subsist  almost  entirely  on  a  fish  diet  — 
their  lakes  and  rivers  furnishing  them  with  abundance  of 
fish ;  and  the  whole  of  the  summer  is  spent  in  catching 
and  drying  these  for  their  winter  provision.  Several  wild 
vegetable  productions  are  added  —  roots  and  berries,  and 
even  the  bark  of  trees  —  all  of  which  are  eaten  along 
with  the  dried  fish.  "Wild  animals  also  furnish  part  of 
their  subsistence  ;  and  it  is  by  the  skins  of  these  —  es 
pecially  the  sable  —  that  the  people  pay  their  annual 
tax,  or  tribute,  to  the  Russian  Government.  From  ani 
mals,  too,  their  clothing  is  chiefly  manufactured;  and 
many  other  articles  used  in  their  domestic  economy. 

The  peninsula  is  rich  in  the  fur-bearing  quadrupeds, 
and  some  of  these  furnish  the  very  best  quality  of  furs 
that  are  known  to  commerce.  The  sable  of  Kamschatka 
is  of  a  superior  kind  as  also  the  many  varieties  of  the  fox. 
They  have,  besides,  the  wolverine  and  wolf,  the  ermine 
and  Arctic  fox,  the  marmot  and  polar-hare,  and  several 
smaller  animals  that  yield  furs  of  commercial  value. 
The  sea-otter  is  common  upon  the  coasts  of  Kamschatka ; 
and  this  is  also  an  object  of  the  chase  —  its  skin  being 
13  s 


290  BRUIN. 

among  the  costliest  of  "  peltries."  The  great  argali,  or 
wild  sheep,  and  the  reindeer,  furnish  them  both  with 
flesh  and  skins  ;  but  one  of  the  chief  objects  of  the  chase 
is  that  great  quadruped  for  which  our  young  hunters  had 
come  all  the  way  to  Kamschatka,  the  bear.  Into  his 
presence  they  would  find  no  difficulty  in  introducing 
themselves  :  for  perhaps  in  no  country  in  the  world  does 
master  Bruin's  family  muster  so  strongly  as  in  this  very 
peninsula. 


FISHING-BEARS.  291 


CHAPTER    LII. 

FISHING-BEARS. 

PREVIOUS  to  starting  forth  in  search  of  the  Kam- 
schatkan  bear,  our  hunters  collected  all  the  particulars 
they  could  in  regard  to  the  haunts  and  habits  of  this 
animal. 

They  learnt  that  there  were  at  least  two  varieties 
known  to  the  Kurilski  and  Koriac  hunters.  One  of 
them  was  the  more  common  kind  —  a  brown  bear, 
closely  resembling  the  ursus  arctos  ;  and  the  other  also 
a  brown  bear ;  but  with  a  whitish  list  running  up  from, 
the  under  part  of  his  throat,  and  meeting  like  a  collar 
over  the  tops  of  his  shoulders.  This  latter  kind  was  un 
doubtedly  the  species  known  as  the  "  Siberian  bear  " 
(ursus  collaris) ;  and  which  has  an  extensive  range 
throughout  most  of  the  countries  of  Northern  Asia.  The 
native  hunters  alleged  that  the  two  kinds  were  of  nearly 
similar  habits.  Both  went  to  sleep  during  the  winter  — 
concealing  themselves  cunningly  in  caves  and  crevices 
among  rocks,  or  among  fallen  timber,  where  such  could 
be  found  in  sufficient  quantity  to  afford  them  shelter. 

One  remarkable  habit  of  these  bears  indicates  a  very 
marked  difference  between  them  and  the  ursus  arctos, 
with  which  they  have  been  usually  classed ;  and  that  is, 


292  BRUIN. 

that  they  are  fishing-bears  —  subsisting  almost  exclu 
sively  on  fish,  which  they  catch  for  themselves.  During 
their  winter  sleep,  of  course  they  eat  nothing ;  but  in 
spring,  as  soon  as  they  emerge  from  their  retreats,  they 
at  once  betake  themselves  to  the  numerous  streams  arid 
lakes  with  which  the  country  abounds ;  and  roaming 
along  the  banks  of  these,  or  wading  in  the  water  itself, 
they  spend  the  whole  of  their  time  in  angling  about  af 
ter  trout  and  salmon.  These  fish,  thanks  to  their  im 
mense  numbers,  and  the  shallowness  of  the  water  in 
most  of  the  lakes  and  streams,  the  bears  are  enabled  to 
catch  almost  at  discretion.  They  wade  into  the  water, 
and  getting  among  the  shoals  of  the  fish  as  they  are  pass 
ing  to  and  fro,  strike  them  dead  with  their  paws.  The 
fish  are  killed  as  instantaneously  as  if  impaled  upon  a 
fishing-spear  ;  and  in  such  numbers  do  the  bears  capture 
them,  at  certain  seasons,  that  the  captors  grow  dainty, 
and  only  eat  a  portion  of  each  fish!  They  show  a 
strange  preference  for  that  part  which  is  usually  con 
sidered  refuse,  the  head,  —  leaving  the  tail,  with  a  con 
siderable  portion  of  the  body,  untouched.  The  rejected 
portions,  however,  are  not  lost ;  for  another  animal,  still 
hungrier  than  the  bears,  and  less  skilful  in  the  piscatory 
art,  is  at  this  time  also  in  search  of  a  meal  of  fish. 

This  creature  is  the  Kamschatkan  dog  —  not  a  wild 
species,  as  you  may  suppose,  but  the  trained  sledge-dogs 
of  the  Kamschatdales  themselves ;  which  at  this  season 
forsake  the  "  ostrogs,"  or  villages,  and  betake  themselves 
to  the  borders  of  the  lakes  and  rivers.  There  they  re 
main  during  the  whole  period  of  summer,  feeding  upon 
fish  —  which  they  also  know  how  to  capture  —  and  eat- 


FISHING-BEARS.  293 

ing  up  such  portions  as  have  been  refused  by  the  bears. 
In  fact,  this  is  the  only  food  which  these  poor  dogs  can 
get ;  and,  as  they  are  not  needed  during  the  summer 
season,  they  do  not  think  of  returning  home  until  frost 
sets  in.  Then  strange  to  say,  one  and  all  of  them  go 
voluntarily  back,  and  surrender  themselves  up  to  their 
old  masters  —  hard  taskmasters  too,  who  not  only  work 
them  like  slaves,  but  half  starve  them  throughout  the 
whole  winter.  This  voluntary  submission  to  their 
"  yoke  "  has  been  quoted  as  an  illustration  of  the  high 
training  and  faithful  disposition  of  the  Kamschatkan 
dogs ;  but  it  has  its  origin  in  a  far  different  motive  than 
that  of  mere  fidelity.  Their  return  to  the  snug  shelter 
of  the  balagan  is  simply  an  instinct  of  self-preservation  : 
for  the  sagacious  animals  well  know,  that  in  winter 
the  lakes  and  streams  will  be  completely  frozen  over, 
and  were  they  to  remain  abroad,  they  would  absolutely 
perish  either  from  hunger  or  cold.  Even  the  wretched 
winter  allowance  of  heads  and  entrails  of  fish  —  the  only 
crumbs  that  fall  to  their  share  —  is  better  than  nothing 
at  all ;  which  would  be  their  portion  were  they  to  remain 
abroad  among  the  bare,  snow-clad  hills  and  valleys  of 
Kamschatka. 

The  Kamschatdales  have  various  modes  of  taking  the 
bear.  In  early  winter  they  sometimes  find  his  track  in 
the  snow ;  and  then  pursue  him  with  a  gun  and  a  bear- 
spear,  killing  him  as  they  best  can.  Later  still,  when  he 
has  gone  to  sleep  in  his  den,  he  is  often  found  —  by  sim 
ilar  indications  as  those  which  guide  the  Laplanders, 
North  American  Indians,  and  Esquimaux  —  such  as  the 
hoar  caused  by  his  breath  showing  over  the  spot,  or  by 


294  BRUIN. 

their  hunting-dogs  scenting  him  out,  and  barking  at  the 
entrance.  The  log-trap,  or  dead-fall,  is  also  in  use 
among  the  Kamschatkan  hunters  ;  and  the  pen  formed 
around  the  mouth  of  the  bear's  cave,  shutting  him  up, 
until  an  entrance  can  be  dug  into  it  from  above. 

In  the  summer  time  the  mode  is  different.  Then  the 
hunter  lies  in  ambush,  with  his  loaded  rifle  —  for  the 
Kamschatdale  carries  this  weapon  —  in  such  places  as 
he  expects  the  bear  to  pass.  These  are  on  the  banks 
of  the  streams  and  lakes  that  abound  in  fish ;  and  as  the 
bears  ramble  along  the  edge  of  the  water,  or  are  even 
seen  swimming  or  wading  into  it,  the  patient  hunter  is 
pretty  sure  of  getting  a  shot.  Should  he  fail  to  bring 
down  Bruin  at  the  first  fire,  the  game  becomes  uncer 
tain  ;  and  sometimes  dangerous :  since  the  animal  often 
charges  upon  the  hunter.  Even  though  the  latter  may 
be  concealed  among  the  long  reeds  and  bushes,  the  saga 
cious  bear,  guided  by  the  smoke  and  blaze  of  the  powder 
easily  finds  out  his  assailant.  The  hunter,  however, 
never  fires  without  taking  a  deliberate  aim.  He  carries 
a  forked  stick,  over  which  he  rests  his  piece,  and  never 
fires  off-hand.  To  miss  would  not  only  endanger  his 
life  and  the  loss  of  his  game,  but  what  is  also  of  conse 
quence  to  a  Kamschatdale,  the  loss  of  his  powder  and 
bullet  —  costly  articles  in  this  remote  corner  of  the  earth. 
In  case  of  missing,  he  has  still  his  bear-spear  and  a  long- 
bladed  knife  to  fall  back  upon ;  and  with  these  he  defends 
himself  as  well  as  he  can  —  though  not  unfrequently 
Bruin  proves  the  victor,  and  the  hunter  the  victim. 

There  are  certain  times  when  the  Siberian  bears  be 
come  exceedingly  dangerous  to  approach.  The  season 


FISHING-BEARS.  295 

of  rut  —  which  occurs  in  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  — 
is  one  of  these ;  but  there  is  another  period  of  danger  — 
which,  however,  does  not  happen  every  year.  When  the 
spring  chances  to  be  late  —  on  account  of  a  prolonged 
winter  —  and  when  the  lakes  and  streams  remain  frozen 
over  after  the  bears  have  come  forth  from  their  hiding- 
places,  then  "ware  Bruin"  is  a  caution  which  it  is 
prudent  to  observe.  The  fierce  animals,  half-famished 
for  want  of  their  usual  diet  of  fish,  roam  over  the  country 
in  all  directions  ;  and  fearlessly  approach  the  "  ostrogs," 
roaming  around  the  balagans  and  jourts  in  search  of 
something  to  eat.  "Woe  to  the  Kamschatdale  that  gets 
in  their  way  at  such  a  time  —  for  the  bear,  instead  of 
waiting  to  be  attacked,  becomes  himself  the  assailant; 
and,  as  great  numbers  of  these  quadrupeds  often  troop 
about  together,  of  course  the  encounter  is  all  the  more 
perilous. 

It  was  just  in  such  a  spring  that  our  young  hunters 
had  arrived  at  Petropaulouski ;  and  stories  of  numerous 
bear  conflicts,  that  had  recently  occurred  in  the  neighbor 
hood,  were  rife  in  the  village ;  while  the  number  of  fresh 
skins  every  day  brought  in  by  the  Kurilski  hunters, 
showed  that  bears  could  not  be  otherwise  than  plentiful 
in  the  country  adjacent. 

Guided  by  one  of  these  hunters,  our  party  set  forth 
upon  a  search.  The  snow  still  covered  the  ground ;  and, 
of  course,  they  travelled  in  sledges  —  each  having  one 
to  himself,  drawn  by  five  dogs,  as  is  the  custom  of  the 
country.  The  dogs  are  harnessed  two  and  two  abreast, 
with  the  odd  one  in  front.  Each  has  his  collar  of  bear 
skin,  with  a  leather  thong  for  a  trace ;  and  five  of  them 


296  BKUIN. 

are  sufficient  to  draw  the  little  sledge  with  a  man  in  it. 
The  sledge,  called  saunka,  is  less  than  four  feet  long ; 
and,  being  made  of  the  lightest  birch  wood,  is  of  very 
little  weight. 

A  curved  stick,  called  the  oschtol — with  an  iron  point, 
and  little  bells  at  the  other  end  —  is  used  to  direct  the 
dogs ;  and,  urged  on  by  this  and  by  well-known  excla 
mations  of  their  driver,  they  will  go  at  a  speed  of  many 
miles  an  hour. 

In  this  slight  vehicle,  hills,  valleys,  lakes,  and  rivers 
are  crossed,  without  such  a  thing  as  a  road  being  thought 
of;  and  when  the  dogs  are  good,  and  have  been  well 
cared  for,  an  immense  distance  may  be  passed  over  in  a 
day. 

In  less  than  an  hour  after  their  departure  from  Petro- 
paulouski,  our  hunters  had  entered  amid  the  wildest 
scenery  —  where  not  the  slightest  sign  of  either  cultiva 
tion  or  human  habitation  was  to  be  seen,  and  where  at 
any  moment  they  might  expect  to  come  in  sight  of  their 
great  game. 


DOG-DRIVING.  297 


CHAPTER    LIII. 

DOG-DRITING. 

THE  guide  was  conducting  them  to  a  stream  that 
ran  into  the  bay  some  ten  or  twelve  miles  from  the 
"  ostrog."  On  that  stream,  he  said,  they  would  be  pretty 
certain  to  find  a  bear,  if  not  several:  since  at  a  place 
he  knew  of  the  water  was  not  frozen,  and  the  bears 
might  be  there  trying  to  catch  fish.  When  questioned 
as  to  why  this  particular  stream  was  not  frozen  like 
the  others,  he  said  that  some  distance  up  it  there  were 
warm  springs  —  a  phenomenon  of  frequent  occurrence 
in  the  peninsula  of  Kamschatka  —  that  these  springs 
supplied  most  of  the  water  of  the  stream ;  and  that  for 
several  hundred  yards  below  where  they  gushed  forth, 
the  river  was  kept  open  by  their  warmth  during  the  se 
verest  winters.  Not  throughout  its  whole  course,  how 
ever.  Farther  down,  where  the  water  became  cool,  it 
froze  as  in  other  streams  ;  and  that  this  was  the  case, 
was  evident  to  our  hunters,  who  had  entered  the  mouth 
of  the  rivers  from  the  icy  surface  of  the  bay,  and  were 
gliding  in  their  sledges  up  its  frozen  channel. 

After  having   gone   three  or  four  miles  up   this  ice 
bound  stream,  which  ran  through  a  narrow  valley  with 
steep,  sloping  sides,  the  guide  warned  our  hunters  that 
13* 


298  BRUIN. 

they  were  close  to  the  place  where  the  water  would  be 
found  open.  At  this  point  a  low  ridge  ran  transverse 
ly  across  the  'valley  —  through  which  the  stream  had, 
in  process  of  time,  cut  a  channel ;  but  the  ridge  oc 
casioned  a  dam  or  lake  of  some  half-dozen  acres  in  su 
perficial  extent,  which  lay  just  above  it.  The  dam  it 
self  was  rarely  frozen  over;  and  it  was  by  the  water 
remaining  in  it,  or  flowing  sluggishly  through  it  —  and 
thus  giving  it  time  to  cool  —  that  the  stream  immedi 
ately  below  got  frozen  over. 

The  lake  lay  just  on  the  other  side  of  the  ridge, 
and  was  now  only  hidden  from  their  view  by  the  rise 
of  the  ground.  If  not  frozen  over,  as  the  guide  con 
jectured,  there  was  likely  to  be  a  bear  roaming  around 
its  edge  ;  and  therefore  they  resolved  to  observe  caution 
in  approaching  it. 

The  sledges  were  to  be  taken  no  further.  Our  hunt 
ers  had  learnt  how  to  manage  both  dog-sledges  and  dogs. 
Their  experience  in  Finland,  as  well  as  in  the  countries 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  territory,  had  taught  them  that; 
and  made  them  skilful  in  the  handling  of  these  animals 
—  else  they  would  have  made  but  poor  work  in  travelling 
as  they  did  now.  In  fact,  they  could  not  have  managed 
at  all :  since  it  requires  a  great  deal  of  training  to  be 
able  to  drive  a  dog-sledge.  This,  however,  they  had  re 
ceived  —  both  the  boys  and  Pouchskin  —  and  fortunate 
it  had  been  so;  for  very  shortly  after  they  were  placed 
in  a  predicament,  in  which  their  lives  depended  on  their 
skill  as  sledge  drivers. 

The  dogs  were  left  under  cover  of  the  ridge,  near 
the  bottom  of  the  little  slope  ;  a  sign  was  given  to  them 


DOG-DRIVING.  299 

lo  keep  their  places  —  which  these  well-trained  creatures 
perfectly  comprehended  ;  and  the  hunters  —  the  Kurilski 
with  the  rest  —  holding  their  guns  in  readiness,  ascended 
towards  the  summit  of  the  slope. 

There  was  no  cover,  except  what  was  afforded  by 
the  inequality  of  the  ground.  There  were  no  trees  in 
the  valley  —  only  stunted  bushes,  not  half  the  height  of 
of  a  man's  body,  and  these  nearly  buried  to  their  tops 
in  the  snow.  A  few,  however,  appeared  growing  along 
the  crest  of  the  ridge. 

The  hunters  crawled  up  to  these  on  all-fours,  and 
peeped  cautiously  through  their  branches. 

It  was  the  impatient  Ivan  that  looked  first;  and 
what  he  saw  so  surprised  him  as  almost  to  deprive  him 
of  the  power  of  speech !  Indeed,  he  was  not  able  to 
explain  what  he  saw  —  till  the  other  three  had  got 
forward,  and  became  equally  eyewitnesses  of  the  specta 
cle  that  had  astonished  him. 

As  the  guide  had  conjectured,  the  lake  was  not  frozen. 
There  was  some  loose  snow  floating  over  its  surface ; 
but  most  of  the  water  was  open ;  and  the  stream  that 
flowed  slowly  in  on  the  opposite  side  was  quite  clear 
of  either  ice  or  snow. 

The  guide  had  also  predicted  hypothetically  that  they 
might  see  a  bear  —  perhaps  two.  It  had  not  occurred 
to  this  man  of  moderate  pretensions  that  they  might  see 
—  and  yet  no  less  than  twelve  bears  were  in 


sight ! 


Yes,  twelve  bears  —  they  were  as  easily  counted  as 
oxen  —  were  around  the  shores  of  this  secluded  lake,  and 
on  the  banks  of  the  little  stream  that  ran  into  it  —  all 


300 


BRUTX. 


within  five  hundred  yards  of  each  other.  Indeed,  it 
would  have  been  easy  to  have  mistaken  them  for  a  herd 
of  brown  heifers  or  oxen  ;  had  it  not  been  for  the  vari 
ous  attitudes  in  which  they  were  seen :  some  upon  all- 
fours  —  some  standing  erect,  like  human  beings,  or 
squatted  on  their  hams  like  gigantic  squirrels  —  others  in 
the  water,  their  bodies  half  submerged  —  others  swim 
ming  about,  their  backs  and  heads  only  visible  above  the 
surface;  and  still  others  prowling  leisurely  along  the 
banks,  or  over  the  strip  of  level  meadow-land  that  bor 
dered  the  lake. 

Such  a  sight  our  bear-hunters  had  never  witnessed 
before,  and  might  never  witness  again,  in  any  other  coun 
try,  save  Kamschatka  itself.  There  it  is  by  no  means 
uncommon  ;  and  twenty  bears  instead  of  twelve  have 
been  often  seen  in  a  single  drove  —  at  that  season  when 
they  descend  from,  their  mountain  retreats  to  their  favorite 
fishing-grounds  upon  the  lakes  and  streams. 

Our  hunters  were  perplexed  by  so  unexpected  a  sight ; 
and  for  some  moments  unresolved  as  to  how  they  should 
act.  Fortunately,  the  bushes  already  mentioned  served 
to  conceal  them  from  the  bears  ;  and  the  wind  was  blow 
ing  towards  the  hunters  —  otherwise  the  bears,  who  are 
keen  of  scent,  would  soon  have  discovered  their  presence. 
As  it  was,  not  one  of  them  —  though  several  were  close 
to  the  ridge  —  seemed  to  have  any  suspicion  that  an 
enemy  was  so  near.  The  huge  quadrupeds  appeared 
to  be  too  busy  about  their  own  affairs  —  endeavoring 
to  capture  the  fish  —  some  of  them  greedily  devouring 
those  they  had  already  taken,  and  others  wandering  rest 
lessly  about,  or  eagerly  observing  the  movements  of  the 


DOG-DRIVING.  301 

fish  in  the  water.  One  and  all  of  them  looked  fierce  and 
famished,  their  bodies  showing  gaunt  and  flaky,  and  their 
enormous  limbs  having  a  lank,  angular  appearance,  that 
gave  them  a  still  greater  resemblance  to  heifers  —  only 
heifers  that  had  been  half  starved  ! 


302  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    LIV. 

A    SLEDGE-CHASE. 

I  HAVE  said  that  our  hunters  were  for  some  time 
irresolute  about  how  to  act.  The  Kurilski  was  inclined 
to  withdraw  from  the  spot  and  leave  the  bears  alone  ; 
and  this  of  course  was  his  advice  to  the  others.  He  said 
there  might  be  danger  in  disturbing  them  —  so  many 
clustered  together,  and  in  such  a  mood  as  they  appeared 
to  be.  He  had  known  them  to  attack  a  large  party  of 
men  under  such  circumstances,  and  give  chase  to  them. 
They  might  do  the  same  now. 

Our  hunters,  however,  did  not  give  full  credit  to  this 
story  of  their  guide  —  thinking  it  might  have  its  origin  in 
the  fears  of  the  Kurilski,  whom  they  knew  to  be  of  a 
timid  race  ;  and  therefore  they  determined  not  to  back 
out.  The  chance  was  too  tempting  to  be  surrendered  for 
so  slight  a  reason,  and  without  a  struggle.  There  were 
several  bears  within  easy  shot  of  the  ground  where  they 
were  kneeling ! 

It  would  never  do  to  let  such  an  opportunity  pass. 
They  might  not  meet  with  so  good  a  chance  again ;  or, 
at  all  events,  they  might  be  delayed  a  good  long  time 
before  another  would  turn  up  ;  and  a  residence  in  Petro- 
paulouski,  even  in  the  "isba"  of  the  governor  —  who 


A    SLEDGE-CHASE.  303 

was  himself  only  a  sergeant  of  Cossacks,  and  his  dwell 
ing  a  mere  hut  —  was  not  so  pleasant  as  that  they 
should  wish  to  prolong  it.  They  had  now  been  a  great 
while  journeying  through  countries  covered  with  frost 
and  snow  ;  and  they  were  longing  to  reach  those  tropical 
isles  —  famed  for  their  spices  and  their  loveliness  — 
which  were  to  be  the  next  stage  in  their  grand  tour 
round  the  globe. 

Influenced  by  these  thoughts,  then,  they  resolved  to 
run  all  hazard,  and  try  a  shot  at  the  bears. 

The  Kurilski,  seeing  them  determined,  gave  in  ;  and, 
joining  his  gun  to  theirs,  a  volley  of  four  shots  was 
simultaneously  discharged  through  the  bushes. 

Two  bears  were  seen  to  drop  over  and  lie  kicking 
upon  the  snow ;  but  whether  they  continued  their  kick 
ing  for  any  considerable  length  of  time,  was  a  question 
about  which  our  hunters  could  give  no  definite  informa 
tion.  They  did  not  stay  to  see :  for  the  moment  the 
smoke  had  cleared  off,  they  saw  the  whole  gang  of  bears 
in  motion,  and  rushing  towards  them  from  all  sides  of  the 
lake.  The  shrill,  fierce  screaming  of  the  animals,  and  the 
hurried  pace  in  which  they  were  making  towards  the 
ridge,  declared  their  intentions.  They  were  charging 
forward  to  the  attack. 

The  hunters  saw  this  at  a  glance ;  and  thought  only 
of  retreating.  But  whither  could  they  fly  ?  There  were 
no  trees ;  and  if  there  had  been,  the  bears  could  have 
climbed  them  even  better  than  themselves.  There  were 
steep,  rocky  cliffs  on  both  sides  of  the  ravine ;  but  these 
would  afford  them  no  security  —  even  had  their  ice- 
coated  slope  permitted  of  their  being  scaled.  But  it  did 


304  BRUIN. 

not,  and  if  it  had,  the  bears  could  have  scaled  the  rocks 
too! 

Our  Russian  hnnters  were  in  a  complete  state  of  per 
plexity,  and  perhaps  would  not  have  known  how  to  save 
themselves,  had  it  not  been  for  their  Kurilski  comrade. 
He,  however,  had  conceived  an  idea  —  or,  rather,  had 
drawn  it  from  old  experience ;  and  just  at  this  moment 
he  rushed  down  the  slope,  as  he  did  so  calling  to  the 
others  to  take  to  their  sledges,  and  warning  them  that  it 
was  their  only  chance  of  escape. 

Of  course  none  of  them  thought  of  disputing  his  ad 
vice,  or  even  calling  it  in  question ;  but  one  and  all  of 
them  yielded  obedience  on  the  instant.  "Without  saying 
a  word,  each  rushed  to  his  sledge,  leaped  upon  the  run 
ners,  seated  himself  in  double  quick  time  upon  the  little 
crescent-like  cradle,  seized  the  "ribbons,"  and  straight 
ened  his  team  to  the  road. 

Had  the  dogs  not  been  well  trained,  and  their  drivers 
equally  well  used  to  the  managemement  of  a  sledge, 
their  peril  would  have  been  extreme.  As  it  was  — 
though  all  came  into  their  places  in  good  style,  and  with 
out  confusion  —  they  had  not  a  second  to  spare.  The 
bears  were  already  galloping  down  the  slope ;  and  as 
the  last  sledge  —  which  was  Pouchskin's  —  moved  off 
from  the  bottom  of  the  ridge,  the  foremost  of  the  roaring 
pursuers  had  got  within  less  than  six  yards  of  it ! 

It  was  now  a  trial  of  speed  between  bears  and  sledge- 
dogs  —  for  the  latter  knew  that  they  were  in  as  much 
danger  as  their  masters  ;  and  needed  neither  the  excla 
mation  Ah !  nor  the  oschtol  to  urge  them  forward.  On 
swept  they  over  the  frozen  crust,  as  fast  as  they  could 


A    SLEDGE-CHASE.  305 

go  —  handling  their  limbs  and  claws  with  the  nimbleness 
peculiar  to  their  race. 

The  bears  followed  in  a  sort  of  lumbering  gallop ;  yet, 
notwithstanding  their  uncouth  movements,  they  kept,  for 
a  long  time,  close  in  the  rear  of  the  fugitives. 

Fortunately  they  did  not  possess  the  speed  of  the 
canine  race ;  and  at  length  —  seeing  that  they  were 
being  distanced  —  one  after  another  gave  up  the  chase, 
and  commenced  returning  towards  the  lake,  slowly,  and 
with  apparent  reluctance. 

Just  at  this  crisis  an  accident  occurred  to  Pouchskin 
—  or  rather  Pouchskin  committed  a  mistake  —  which, 
had  it  been  made  five  minutes  sooner,  would  most  as 
suredly  have  cost  him  his  life.  The  mistake  which 
Pouchskin  made,  was  to  drop  the  iron  end  of  his 
"  oschtol "  on  the  snowy  crust  between  his  sledge  and 
the  two  dogs  nearest  to  it  —  the  "  wheelers  "  as  we  may 
call  them.  The  effect  of  this,  with  Kamsckatkan  sledge- 
dogs,  is  to  cause  the  whole  team  to  halt ;  and  so  acted 
the  dogs  that  Pouchskin  was  driving  —  all  five  suddenly 
coming  to  a  dead  stop  !  Pouchskin  endeavored  to  urge 
them  forward  —  crying  out  the  usual  signal,  Ha ;  but, 
in  his  anxious  eagerness,  Pouchskin  placed  the  accent 
after  the  vowel,  instead  of  before  it ;  and  instead  of  Ha  ! 
his  exclamation  sounded  Ah  !  The  latter  being  the  com 
mand  for  the  dogs  to  halt,  of  course  only  kept  them 
steady  in  their  places  ;  and  they  stood  without  offering 
to  move  a  leg.  By  good  fortune,  the  bears  had  already 
given  up  the  pursuit,  and  were  not  witnesses  of  this  in 
terruption  :  otherwise  it  would  have  gone  ill  with  the 
ex-grenadier. 

T 


306  BRUIN. 

In  due  time  the  dogs  were  once  more  started ;  and 
Pouchskin  —  putting  them  to  their  highest  rate  of  speed 
—  soon  overtook  the  sledge-train ;  which  did  not  come 
to  a  halt  until  a  good  mile  of  snow-covered  country  was 
between  it  and  the  bears. 

The  hunters  only  paused  then,  for  a  short  while,  to 
breathe  their  panting  dogs  ;  and  this  done,  they  resumed 
their  seats  on  the  sledges,  and  continued  on  to  the 
ostrog  —  without  a  thought  of  going  back  after  the 
bears. 

They  had  no  intention,  however,  of  giving  them  up 
entirely.  They  only  drove  home  to  the  village  —  in 
order  to  get  assistance  ;  and,  as  soon  as  their  report  was 
delivered,  all  the  men  of  the  settlement  —  Cossacks, 
Kurilskis,  and  half-breeds  —  turned  out  armed  to  the 
teeth  for  a  grand  battue,  and  proceeded  towards  the  lake 
with  the  governor  himself  at  their  head. 

The  bears  were  still  upon  the  ground  —  both  the  liv 
ing  and  the  dead  —  for  it  was  now  seen  that  two  of  their 
number  had  fallen  to  the  shots  of  our  hunters  —  and 
upon  the  former  a  general  fusillade  was  at  once  opened, 
which  ended  in  their  complete  discomfiture.  Five  more 
of  them  were  killed  upon  the  spot ;  and  several  others 
that  took  to  flight  were  tracked  through  the  snow,  and 
destroyed  in  their  hiding-places.  For  a  week  after, 
there  was  very  little  fish  eaten  in  the  ostrog  of  Petro- 
paulouski  —  which,  for  a  long  period  previous  to  that 
time,  had  not  witnessed  such  a  carnival. 

Of  course  our  Russian  hunters  came  in  for  their  share 
of  the  trophies ;  and,  choosing  the  skin  of  one  of  the 
bears  they  had  themselves  shot,  they  left  it  with  the  Gov- 


A    SLEDGE-CHASE.  307 

ernor,  to  be  forwarded  via  Okhotsk  and  Yakoutsk,  to  the- 
distant  capital  of  St.  Petersburg.  Shortly  after  the  fur- 
ship  carried  them  to  Canton,  —  whence  they  might  ex 
pect  to  find  a  passage  in  a  Chinese  trading-vessel  to  the 
grand  island  of  Borneo. 


308  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    LV. 

THE    SUN   BEARS. 

THERE  are  colonies  of  Chinese  settled  in  different 
parts  of  Borneo  —  whose  principal  business  there  is  the 
working  of  gold  and  antimony  mines.  These  Chinese  co 
lonial  settlements  —  along  with  numerous  others  through 
out  the  Oriental  islands  —  are  under  the  protection  and 
direction  of  a  great  Mercantile  Company  called  Kung 
Li  —  somewhat  resembling  our  own  East  India  Com 
pany.  In  Borneo,  the  head-quarters  of  this  commercial 
association  of  the  Chinese,  is  the  port  and  river  of  Sam 
bos,  on  the  western  coast ;  though  they  have  many  other 
settlements  in  different  parts  of  the  island.  Of  course, 
between  these  colonies  and  Canton  there  is  a  regular 
traffic  ;  and  our  travellers  found  no  difficulty  in  proceed 
ing  to  Borneo  in  a  Chinese  junk  which  traded  direct 
from  Canton  to  Sambos.  At  Sambos  there  is  also  a 
Dutch  settlement,  or  "  factory,"  belonging  to  the  Dutch 
East  India  Company;  and  this  Company  has  also  two 
other  stations  in  the  island  —  all,  however,  occupying  a 
territory  of  limited  extent,  compared  with  the  large  sur 
face  of  the  island  itself.  No  other  European  settlements 
exist  in  Borneo,  if  we  except  an  English  "  agency  "  lately 
established  at  the  little  island  of  Labuan ;  and  a  settle- 


THE    SUN   BEARS.  309 

ment  at  Sarawak,  under  an  English  adventurer,  who 
styles  himself  "  Eajah  Brooke." 

The  "  rajah  "  rests  his  claim  to  the  title  and  territory 
of  Sarawak  on  a  grant  from  the  Sultan  of  Borneo 
(Bruni)  ;  and  the  quid  pro  quo  which  he  professes  to 
have  given,  was  the  having  assisted  the  said  Sultan  in 
putting  down  the  "  Dyak  pirates  ! "  This  is  the  pretence 
hitherto  put  forth  to  the  British  public ;  but  on  a  closer 
inquiry  into  the  facts  of  this  transaction,  the  story  as 
sumes  quite  a  different  color ;  and  it  would  rather  appear 
that,  instead  of  assisting  to  put  down  piracy  in  the  Bor- 
nean  waters,  the  first  act  of  the  philanthropic  English 
man  was  to  assist  the  Malay  Sultan  in  enslaving  several 
tribes  of  inoffensive  Dyaks,  and  forcing  them  to  work 
without  pay  in  the  mines  of  antimony !  This  appears  to 
have  been  the  nature  of  the  services  that  purchased  Sa 
rawak.  It  was,  in  fact,  aiding  the  pirates,  instead  of 
putting  them  down :  since  the  Bornean  Sultan  was  him 
self  the  actual  patron  and  protector  of  these  sea  robbers, 
instead  of  being  their  enemy  ! 

The  patriot  and  statesman,  Hume,  endeavored  to  pro 
cure  an  inquiry  into  these  acts  of  Oriental  filibusterism  ; 
but  the  underhand  influence  of  an  unprincipled  Adminis 
tration,  backed  by  an  interested  commercial  clamor,  was 
too  strong  for  him ;  and  the  shameful  usurpation  has  been 
justified. 

Notwithstanding  that  Europeans  have  been  settled  for 
hundreds  of  years  in  the  islands  of  the  Indian  Archipelago 
—  ruling  them,  as  we  may  almost  say  —  it  is  astonishing 
how  little  is  yet  known  of  the  great  island  of  Borneo. 
Only  its  coasts  have  been  traced,  and  these  very  imper- 


310  BRUIN. 

fectly.  The  Dutch  have  made  one  or  two  expeditions 
into  the  interior ;  but  much  knowledge  need  not  be  ex 
pected  from  such  trading  hucksters  as  they.  Their  ener 
gies  in  the  East  have  been  expended  throughout  a  period 
of  two  centuries,  with  no  other  apparent  object  than  to 
promote  dissension,  wherever  it  was  possible  ;  and  to  an 
nihilate  every  spark  of  freedom  or  nobility  among  the 
races  who  have  had  the  misfortune  to  come  in  contact 
with  them. 

Notwithstanding  their  opportunities,  they  have  done 
little  to  add  to  our  knowledge  of  Borneo  —  which  was 
about  as  well  known  a  hundred  years  ago  as  it  is  at  the 
present  hour.  Never  was  a  subject  more  ripe  for  illus 
tration  than  this  magnificent  island.  It  courts  a  mono 
graph  —  such  as  has  been  given  to  Sumatra  by  Marsden, 
by  Tennant  to  Ceylon,  and  to  Java  by  Sir  Stamford 
Raffles.  Perhaps  some  one  of  my  young  readers  may 
become  the  author  of  that  monograph. 

Teeming  with  the  most  gorgeous  forms  of  tropical  life 
—  so  rich  in  fauna  and  flora  that  it  might  be  almost  re 
garded  as  a  great  zoological  and  botanical  garden  com 
bined  —  it  will  well  repay  the  scientific  explorer,  who 
may  scarce  find  such  another  field  on  the  face  of  the 
earth. 

Our  young  hunters,  in  contemplating  the  grand  tropical 
scenery  of  Borneo,  were  filled  with  admiration.  The 
sylva  was  quite  equal  to  anything  they  had  witnessed  on 
the  Amazon  ;  while  the  fauna  —  especially  in  quad 
rupeds  and  quadrumana  —  was  far  richer. 

To  one  quadruped  was  their  attention  more  especially 
directed ;  and  I  need  hardly  say  that  this  was  the  Bor- 


THE    SUN   BEARS.  311 

nean  bear  —  by  far  the  most  beautiful  animal  of  the 
whole  Bruin  family.  The  Bornean  bear  is  also  the 
smallest  of  the  family  —  in  size,  being  even  less  than  his 
near  congener,  the  Malayan  bear ;  though  resembling  the 
latter  in  many  particulars.  His  fur  is  a  jet  black,  with  a 
muzzle  of  an  orange-yellow  color,  and  a  disc  of  still 
deeper  orange  upon  the  breast,  bearing  a  certain  resem 
blance  to  the  figure  of  a  heart.  The  hair  is  thickly  and 
evenly  set  over  his  whole  body  —  presenting  the  same 
uniform  surface  which  characterizes  the  black  bear  of 
North  America,  the  two  species  of  South  America,  and 
also  his  Malayan  cousin  —  who  inhabits  the  neighboring 
islands  of  Sumatra  and  Java.  For  the  latter,  indeed,  he 
is  often  taken ;  and  many  naturalists  consider  them  as 
one  species  —  though  this  is  certainly  an  error.  The 
Bornean  bear  is  not  only  much  less  in  bulk ;  but  the  deep 
orange-color  on  his  breast  offers  a  permanent  mark  of 
distinction.  In  the  Malayan  bear  there  is  also  a  marking 
on  the  breast ;  but  it  is  of  half-moon  shape  and  whitish 
color.  Besides,  the  color  of  the  muzzle  in  the  latter 
species  is  only  yellowish,  not  yellow ;  and  the  animal 
altogether  is  far  from  being  so  handsome  as  the  bear  of 
Borneo. 

Dr.  Horsfield,  who  had  good  opportunities  of  observ 
ing  them  both,  has  pointed  out  other  essential  characteris 
tics,  which  prove  conclusively  that  they  are  separate 
species ;  but  the  Doctor,  guided  by  his  love  for  generic 
distinctions,  could  not  rest  satisfied,  without  further  or 
namenting  his  task  —  by  constituting  for  them  a  new 
genus,  under  the  title  of  Helarctos.  There  is  no  reasou 
whatever  for  this  inundation  of  generic  names.  It  has 


312  BRUIN. 

served  no  good  purpose ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  renders 
the  study  of  natural  history  more  complicated  and  ob 
scure  ;  and  to  no  family  of  animals  do  these  remarks 
more  pointedly  apply  than  to  that  of  the  bears.  So 
similar  are  all  these  quadrupeds  to  one  another  —  so  per 
fect  is  the  family  likeness  between  them  —  that  to  sepa 
rate  them  into  different  genera  is  a  mere  pedantic  conceit 
of  the  anatomists.  There  are  about  a  dozen  species  in 
all ;  and  the  systematic  naturalists  —  who  do  not  even 
admit  that  number  —  have  formed  for  the  bears  nearly 
as  many  genera  as  there  are  species,  —  among  which 
may  be  mentioned  the  ridiculous  titles  of  Proehilus, 
Melursus,  ffelarctos,  and  the  like. 

The  Bornean  bear  is  as  much  a  true  species  of  ursus 
as  either  the  brown  bear  of  Europe,  the  black  bear  of 
North  America,  or  the  black  bears  of  the  Cordilleras  ; 
and,  indeed,  to  these  last  his  habits  assimilate  him  very 
closely  —  being,  like  them,  a  vegetarian  in  his  diet,  and 
a  great  lover  of  sweets. 

Of  his  penchant  for  honey,  our  young  hunters  had 
proof:  for,  it  was  while  actually  engaged  in  plundering 
a  hive  they  first  saw  the  Bornean  bear.  They  were  at 
the  same  time  successful  in  effecting  his  capture  —  which 
is  now  to  be  described. 


THE    TALL    TAPANG.  313 


CHAPTER    LVI. 

THE    TALL    TAPANG. 

ON  their  arrival  at  Sambos,  our  young  hunters,  accord 
ing  to  their  usual  custom,  procured  a  native  guide  to 
direct  them  to  the  haunts  of  their  game.  In  this  case  it 
was  a  Dyak  who  became  their  conductor  —  one  of 
those  who  follow  the  business  of  bee-hunters ;  and  who, 
from  the  very  nature  of  their  calling,  are  often  brought 
into  contact  with  the  bears  as  well  as  the  bees. 

Under  the  direction  of  the  Dyak,  our  hunters  made 
an  excursion  to  a  range  of  wooded  hills,  not  far  from 
Sambos,  where  the  sun  bear  was  known  to  exist  in  great 
numbers ;  and  where  one  was  likely  to  be  found  almost 
at  any  time. 

As  they  were  passing  through  the  woods,  they  ob 
served  a  very  singular  species  of  tree  —  indeed,  many 
species,  that  might  be  styled  singular;  but  one  pre 
eminently  so,  that  strongly  arrested  their  attention. 
These  trees  did  not  grow  in  any  great  numbers  together ; 
but  only  two  or  three  in  one  place ;  and  more  generally 
they  stood  singly  —  apart  from  any  of  their  own  kind, 
and  surrounded  by  other  trees  of  the  forest.  But  though 
surrounded  by  other  sorts,  they  were  overtopped  by  none. 
On  the  contrary,  their  own  tops  rose  above  all  the  others 
14 


314  BRUIN. 

to  a  vast  height ;  and  what  was  most  singular,  they  did 
not  put  forth  a  branch  from  their  trunks  until  the  latter 
had  shot  up  to  some  feet  above  the  "spray"  of  the 
surrounding  forest.  It  was  this  peculiarity  that  had 
drawn  the  attention  of  our  hunters.  They  might  not 
have  noticed  it,  had  they  kept  on  under  the  trees ;  but, 
on  crossing  a  slight  eminence  —  where  the  ground  was 
open  —  they  chanced  to  get  a  view  of  a  number  of  these 
tall  trees,  and  saw  that  they  towered  to  a  vast  height, 
above  all  the  others. 

Even  their  tops  had  the  appearance  of  tall  trees,  stand 
ing  thinly  over  the  ground  —  the  ground  itself  being 
neither  more  nor  less  than  the  contiguous  heads  of  the 
other  trees,  that  formed  the  forest.  Had  this  forest  been 
a  low  jungle,  there  would  have  been  nothing  extraordinary 
in  what  they  saw ;  but  our  hunters  had  already  observed 
that  it  was  a  true  forest  of  grand  trees  —  most  of  them 
a  hundred  feet  in  height.  As  the  trees  which  had  at 
tracted  their  admiration  rose  full  fifty  feet  above  the  tops 
of  the  others,  it  may  be  imagined  what  tall  individuals 
they  were.  They  were  slender,  too,  in  proportion  to 
their  height;  and  these  stems  rising  two  hundred  feet, 
without  a  single  offshoot  or  branch  upon  them,  gave  the 
trees  the  appearance  of  being  still  taller  than  they  act 
ually  were — just  as  a  thin,  clean  spar,  set  upright,  looks 
much  taller  than  a  hill  or  a  house  of  the  same  elevation. 

We  have  said  that  there  were  no  branches  for  the  first 
hundred  feet  or  so  up  the  stem.  Beyond  that  there 
were  many  and  large  limbs ;  which,  diverging  only 
slightly,  and  in  a  fastigiate  manner,  carried  the  tree  nearly 
as  much  higher.  These  branches  were  regularly  set ; 


THE   TALL    TAPANG.  315 

and  covered  with  small,  light-green  leaves,  forming  a 
beautiful,  round  head. 

The  bark  of  this  tree  was  white,  and  by  piercing  it 
with  a  knife,  our  hunters  perceived  that  it  was  soft  and 
milky.  The  wood,  too,  for  some  inches  below  the  pe 
riphery  was  so  spongy,  that  the  blade  of  the  knife  pene- 
into  it  almost  as  easily  as  into  the  stalk  of  a  cabbage. 

The  wood  near  the  bark  was  of  a  white  color.  In 
wards  it  became  harder ;  and  had  they  been  able  to  reach 
the  heart,  they  would  have  found  it  very  hard,  and  of  a 
dark  chocolate  color.  On  exposure  to  the  air,  this  heart- 
wood  turns  black  as  ebony  ;  and  is  used  for  similar  pur 
poses  by  the  native  Dyaks  and  Malays,  who  manufacture 
from  it  bracelets  and  other  bijouterie. 

On  asking  their  Dyak  guide  the  name  of  this  remark 
able  tree,  he  said  it  was  called  the  tapang.  This,  how 
ever,  gave  no  information  regarding  its  species  ;  but 
Alexis,  shortly  after,  in  passing  under  one,  observed  some 
flowers  that  had  fallen  from  its  top  ;  and  having  examined 
one  of  these,  pronounced  the  tree  a  species  of  ficus  —  a 
very  common  genus  in  the  islands  of  the  Indian  Archi 
pelago. 

If  our  young  hunters  were  filled  with  admiration  at 
sight  of  this  beautiful  tree  itself,  they  shortly  after  ob 
served  something  that  changed  their  admiration  into 
wonder.  On  advancing  towards  one  of  the  tapangs,  they 
were  struck  with  a  singular  serrated  appearance  that 
showed  along  the  edge  of  its  trunk  —  from  the  ground 
up  to  the  base  of  its  branching  head.  It  looked  as  if  a 
tall  ladder  was  laid  edgeways  along  the  trunk  of  the  tree 
—  one  side  of  it  hidden  under  the  bark !  On  drawing 


316  BRUIN. 

nearer,  this  appearance  was  explained.  A  ladder  in 
reality  it  was  ;  but  one  of  rare  construction ;  and  which 
could  not  have  been  removed  from  the  tree,  without  tak 
ing  it  entirely  to  pieces.  On  closer  examination,  this 
ladder  proved  to  be  a  series  of  bamboo  spikes  —  driven 
into  tlio  "soft  trunk  in  a  slightly  slanting  direction,  and 
about  two  feet  apart,  one  above  the  other.  The  spikes 
themselves  forming  the  rounds,  were  each  about  a  foot  in 
length  ;  and  held  firmly  in  their  places  by  a  bamboo  rail 
—  to  which  their  outer  ends  were  attached  by  means  of 
thin  strips  of  rattan.  This  rail  extended  the  whole  way 
from  the  ground  to  the  commencement  of  the  branches. 
It  was  evident  that  this  extemporized  ladder  had  been 
constructed  for  the  purpose  of  climbing  the  tree,  but  with 
what  object  ?  Upon  this  head  their  Dyak  guide  was  the 
very  man  to  enlighten  them :  since  it  was  he  himself 
who  had  made  the  ladder.  The  construction  of  such  lad 
ders,  and  afterwards  the  climbing  of  them,  were  the  most 
essential  branches  of  his  calling  —  which,  as  already 
stated,  was  that  of  a  bee-hunter.  His  account  of  the 
matter  was  as  follows.  A  large  wasp-like  bee,  which  is 
called  lanyeh,  builds  its  nests  upon  these  tall  tapangs. 
The  nest  consists  of  an  accumulation  of  pale,  yellowish 
wax  —  which  the  bees  attach  to  the  under-side  of  the 
thick  branches,  so  that  these  may  shelter  the  hive  /rom 
the  rain.  To  reach  these  nests,  the  bamboo  ladder  is  con 
structed,  and  the  ascent  is  made  —  not  for  the  purpose 
of  obtaining  the  honey  alone  —  but  more  on  account  of 
the  wax,  out  of  which  the  combs  are  formed.  The 
lanyeh  being  as  much  wasp  as  bee,  produces  a  very  small 
quantity  of  honey ;  and  that,  too,  of  inferior  quality  ;  but 


THE    TALL    TAPANG.  317 

the  wax  is  a  valuable  article,  and  of  this  several  dollars' 
worth  may  be  procured  from  a  single  hive. 

It  is  dearly  earned  money  —  very  dearly  earned,  in 
deed  ;  but  the  poor  Dyak  bee-hunter  follows  the  calling 
from  motives  not  easily  understood  —  since  almost  any 
other  would  afford  him  a  living,  with  less  labor  laud  cer 
tainly  with  less  pain.  Pain,  indeed !  He  never  suc 
ceeds  in  plundering  the  store  of  the  lanyeh,  without  being 
severely  stung  by  the  insects  ;  and  though  their  sting  is 
quite  as  painful  as  that  of  the  common  wasp,  experience 
seems  to  have  rendered  the  Dyak  almost  indifferent  to  it. 
He  ascends  the  flimsy  ladder  without  fear  —  carrying  a 
blazing  torch  in  his  hand,  and  a  cane-basket  on  his  back. 
By  means  of  the  torch,  he  ejects  the  bees  from  their 
aerial  domiciles  ;  and,  then  having  torn  their  combs  from 
the  branches,  he  deposits  them  in  his  basket  —  the  in 
censed  insects  all  the  while  buzzing  around  his  ears,  and 
inflicting  numerous  wounds  over  his  face  and  throat,  as 
well  as  upon  his  naked  arms !  Very  often  he  returns  to 
the  ground  with  his  head  swollen  to  twice  the  size  it  was 
previous  to  his  going  up !  Not  a  very  pleasant  profession 
is  that  of  a  Bornean  bee-hunter  ! 


318  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    LVII. 

THE   BRUANG. 

As  the  party  proceeded  onward,  they  observed  several 
other  tapang-trees,  with  ladders  attached  to  them ;  and  at 
the  bottom  of  one  of  these  —  which  was  the  tallest  they 
had  yet  seen  —  the  guide  made  a  halt. 

Taking  off  his  &m,  and  throwing  to  the  ground  an 
axe,  which  he  had  brought  along,  he  commenced  ascend 
ing  the  tree. 

Our  hunters  inquired  his  object.  They  knew  it  could 
not  be  either  honey  or  wax.  There  had  been  a  bees'- 
nest  upon  this  tree  —  as  the  ladder  told  —  but  that  had 
been  removed  long  ago ;  and  there  now  appeared  nothing 
among  the  branches  that  should  make  it  worth  while  to 
climb  up  to  them.  The  answer  of  the  bee-hunter  ex 
plained  his  purpose.  He  was  merely  ascending  to  have 
a  lookout  over  the  forest  —  which  in  that  neighbor 
hood  could  not  be  obtained  by  any  other  means  than  by 
the  climbing  of  a  tapang. 

It  was  fearful  to  watch  the  man  ascending  to  such  a 
dizzy  height,  and  with  such  a  flimsy,  uncertain  support 
beneath  his  feet.  It  reminded  them  of  what  they  had 
seen  at  the  Palombiere  of  the  Pyrenees. 

"The  Dyak  soon  reached  the  top  of  the  ladder ;  and 


THE   BKUANG.  319 

for  some  ten  minutes  or  more  clung  there  —  screwing  his 
head  around,  and  appearing  to  examine  the  forest  on  all 
sides.  At  length  his  head  rested  steadily  upon  his  shoul 
ders  ;  and  his  gaze  appeared  to  be  fixed  in  one  particular 
direction.  He  was  too  distant  for  the  party  at  the  bot 
tom  of  the  tree  to  note  the  expression  upon  his  coun 
tenance  ;  but  his  attitude  told  them  that  he  had  made 
some  discovery. 

Shortly  after  he  came  down ;  and  reported  this  dis 
covery  in  laconic  phrase,  simply  saying :  — 

"  Bruang  —  see  him  ! " 

The  hunters  knew  that  "  bruang "  was  the  Malayan 
name  for  bear ;  and  the  coincidence  of  this  word  with 
the  sobriquet  "  Bruin  "  had  already  led  them  to  indulge 
in  the  speculation,  as  to  whether  the  latter  might  not  have 
originally  come  from  the  East. 

They  did  not  stay  to  think  of  it  then :  for  the  guide, 
on  regaining  terra  firma^  at  once  started  off —  telling 
them  to  follow  him. 

After  going  rapidly  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  through 
the  woods,  the  Dyak  began  to  advance  more  cautiously 
—  carefully  examining  each  of  the  trunks  of  the  tapangs 
that  stood  thinly  scattered  among  the  other  trees. 

At  one  of  these  he  was  seen  to  make  an  abrupt  halt, 
at  the  same  instant  turning  his  face  upward.  The  young 
hunters,  who  were  close  behind  him,  could  see  that  there 
were  scratches  upon  the  soft,  succulent  bark,  as  if  caused 
by  the  claws  of  some  animal ;  but,  almost  as  soon  as  they 
had  made  the  observation,  their  eyes  were  directed  to  the 
animal  itself. 

Away  up  on  the  tall  tapang — just  where  its  lowest 


320  BRUIN. 

limbs  parted  from  the  main  stem  —  a  black  body  could 
be  distinguished.  At  such  a  distance  it  appeared  not 
bigger  than  a  squirrel ;  but,  for  all  that,  it  was  a  Bor- 
nean  bear  ;  and  the  spot  of  vivid  orange  upon  its  breast 
could  be  seen  shining  like  a  coal  of  fire.  Close  by- 
its  snout  a  whitish  mass  appeared  attached  under  the 
branches.  This  was  the  waxen  domicile  of  the  lanyeh 
bees  ;  and  a  slight  mist-like  cloud,  which  hung  over  the 
place,  was  the  swarm  itself —  no  doubt  engaged  in  angry 
conflict  with  the  plunderer  of  their  hive. 

The  little  bear  was  too  busy  in  the  enjoyment  of  his 
luscious  meal  —  that  is,  if  the  stings  of  the  lanyehs  al 
lowed  him  to  enjoy  it  —  to  look  below ;  and  for  some 
minutes  the  hunters  stood  regarding  him,  without  making 
a  movement. 

Satisfied  with  their  inspection,  they  were  at  length 
preparing  to  fire  at  him ;  when  they  were  hindered  by 
the  Dyak  —  who,  making  signs  to  them  to  be  silent, 
drew  them  all  back  from  the  tree. 

When  out  of  sight  of  the  bear,  he  counselled  them  to 
adopt  a  different  plan.  He  said  —  what  was  true  enough 
—  that  at  such  a  height  they  might  miss  the  bear ;  or, 
even  if  they  should  hit  him,  a  bullet  would  scarce  bring 
him  down  —  unless  it  should  strike  him  in  a  vital  part. 
In  the  contingency  of  their  missing,  or  only  slightly 
wounding  him,  the  animal  would  at  once  ascend  further 
up  into  the  tapang ;  and,  hidden  behind  the  leaves  and 
branches,  might  defy  them.  He  would  there  remain  till 
hunger  should  force  him  down ;  and,  since  he  was  just 
in  the  act  of  having  his  meal,  and  had,  no  doubt,  been 
eating  from  the  time  he  was  first  espied  —  or  longer, 


THE    BRUANG.  321 

perhaps  —  he  would  be  in  a  condition  to  stay  in  the  tree, 
until  their  patience  should  be  more  than  exhausted. 

True,  they  might  fell  the  tree  ;  they  had  an  axe,  and 
could  soon  cut  the  tree  down  —  as  the  wTood  was  soft ; 
but  the  Dyak  alleged  that  the  bruang  in  such  cases  usu 
ally  contrives  to  escape.  The  tapang  rarely  falls  all  the 
way,  but  only  upon  the  tops  of  the  trees  that  stand 
thickly  round ;  and  as  the  Bornean  bear  can  climb  and 
cling  like  a  monkey,  he  is  never  shaken  out  of  the 
branches,  but  springs  from  them  into  some  other  tree  — 
among  the  thick  leaves  of  which  he  may  conceal  himself; 
or,  by  getting  to  the  ground,  manage  to  steal  off. 

His  advice,  therefore,  was,  that  the  hunters  should 
conceal  themselves  behind  the  trunks  of  the  surrounding 
trees ;  and,  observing  silence,  wait  till  the  bruang  had 
finished  his  mellifluous  repast,  and  feel  inclined  to  come 
down.  The  Dyak  said  he  would  make  his  descent 
stern  foremost ;  and,  if  they  acted  cautiously,  they  might 
have  him  at  their  mercy,  and  almost  at  the  muzzles  of 
their  guns. 

There  was  only  one  of  the  three  who  was  not  agree 
able  to  this  plan  ;  and  that  was  the  impatient  Ivan  ;  but, 
overruled  by  the  advice  of  his  brother,  he  also  gave  his 
consent  to  it. 

The  three  now  took  their  respective  stands  behind 
three  trees  —  that  formed  a  sort  of  triangle  around  the 
tapang ;  and  the  guide,  who  had  no  gun,  placed  himself 
apart  —  holding  his  kris  in  readiness  to  finish  off  the 
bear,  should  the  animal  be  only  wounded. 

There  was  no  danger  to  be  dreaded  from  the  en 
counter.  The  little  bear  of  Borneo  is  only  dangerous 
U*  u 


322  BRUIN. 

to  the  bees  and  white  ants  —  or  other  insects  —  which 
he  is  accustomed  to  lick  up  with  his  long  tongue.  The 
human  hunter  has  nothing  to  fear  from  him,  any  more 
than  from  a  timid  deer  —  though  he  will  scratch,  and 
growl,  and  bite,  if  too  closely  approached. 

It  was  just  as  the  Dyak  had  predicted.  The  bruang, 
having  finished  his  meal,  was  seen  coming  down  the  tree 
tail  foremost ;  and  in  this  way  would  no  doubt  have 
continued  on  to  the  ground  ;  but,  before  he  had  got  half 
way  down  the  trunk,  Ivan's  impatience  got  the  better  of 
him;  and  the  loud  bang  of  his  fowling-piece  filled  the 
forest  with  its  echoes.  Of  course  it  was  a  bullet  that 
Ivan  had  fired  ;  and  it  appeared  that  he  had  missed.  It 
was  of  little  use  firing  also  his  shot  barrel,  though  he  did 
so  immediately  after. 

The  effect  of  his  shots  was  to  frighten  the  bruang 
back  up  the  tree  ;  and  at  the  first  report  he  commenced 
ascending.  Almost  as  rapidly  as  a  cat  he  swarmed  up 
ward  ;  and  for  a  moment  the  chances  of  losing  him 
appeared  as  two  to  one.  But  Alexis,  who  had  been 
watching  the  restless  movements  of  his  brother,  had  pre 
pared  himself  for  such  an  issue ;  and,  waiting  till  the 
bruang  made  a  pause  just  under  the  branches,  he  fired 
his  rifle  with  deadlier  aim.  The  bear,  in  clutching  to 
one  of  the  limbs,  had  extended  his  body  outward,  and 
this  gave  the  rifleman  the  chance  of  aiming  at  his  head. 
The  bullet  must  have  told :  for  the  bear,  instead  of  as 
cending  higher,  was  seen  hanging  down  from  the  limb, 
as  if  he  was  clinging  to  it  with  enfeebled  strength. 

At  this  moment  the  cannon-like  report  of  Pouchskin's 
fusil  filled  the  woods  with  its  booming  echoes ;  and  Bruin, 


THE   BRUANG.  323 

suddenly  relaxing  his  grasp,  came  bump  down  among 
the  hunters  —  missing  Pouchskin  by  about  the  eighth 
part  of  an  inch  !  Lucky  for  the  old  grenadier  there  was 
even  this  much  of  a  miss.  It  was  as  good  as  a  mile  to 
him.  Had  the  bear's  body  descended  upon  his  shoulders, 
falling  from  such  a  height,  it  would  have  flattened  him  out 
as  dead  as  the  bear  was  himself  j  and  Pouchskin,  perceiv 
ing  the  danger  from  which  he  had  so  narrowly  escaped, 
looked  as  perplexed  and  miserable  as  if  some  great  mis 
fortune  had  actually  befallen  him  ! 


324  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    LVIII. 

THE    CABBAGE-EATER. 

OUR  heroes  now,  having  accomplished  their  mission  to 
Borneo,  were  about  to  cross  over  to  the  island  of  Suma 
tra  ;  in  which  —  as  well  as  in  Java,  or  upon  the  main 
land  of  Malacca — they  would  find  the  other  sun  bear, 
known  as  the  ursus  malayanus ;  but  previous  to  their 
departure  from  Sambos,  they  obtained  information  that 
led  them  to  believe  that  this  species  also  inhabited  the 
island  of  Borneo.  It  was  more  rarely  met  with  than  the 
orange-breasted  variety  ;  but  the  natives,  generally  better 
guides  than  the  anatomists  in  the  matter  of  specific  dis 
tinctions,  stoutly  maintained  that  there  were  two  kinds ; 
and  the  Dyak  bee-hunter  —  whose  interest  had  been  se 
cured  by  the  ample  reward  already  bestowed  upon  him 
—  promised  them,  that  if  they  would  go  with  him  to  a 
certain  district  of  country,  he  would  show  them  the 
larger  species  of  bruang.  From  the  man's  description 
of  it  Alexis  easily  recognized  the  ursus  malayanus  — 
the  species  they  had  killed  being  the  ursus  euryspilus. 

Indeed,  had  there  been  any  doubt  about  this  matter,  it 
would  have  been  set  at  rest,  by  what  our  travellers  saw 
in  the  streets  of  Sambos.  There  both  species  were  ex 
hibited  by  the  itinerant  jugglers  —  for  both  the  sun  bears 


THE    CABBAGE-EATER.  325 

can  be  easily  tamed  and  trained  —  and  these  men  stated 
that  they  had  procured  the  "  big  bruang,"  in  the  woods 
of  Borneo. 

Since,  then,  he  was  there  to  be  found,  why  go  to  Su 
matra  in  search  of  him  ?  They  had  still  travelling 
enough  before  them ;  and  they  were  beginning  to  get 
tired  of  it.  It  was  natural  that  —  after  so  long  an  ab 
sence  and  the  endurance  of  so  many  perils  and  hardships 
—  they  should.be  longing  for  home,  and  the  comforts  of 
that  fine  palace  on  the  banks  of  the  Neva. 

They  resolved,  therefore,  to  accompany  the  Dyak  guide 
on  a  new  expedition. 

They  were  a  whole  day  upon  the  journey ;  and  just 
before  nightfall  reached  the  place,  where  the  man  ex 
pected  to  fall  in  with  the  big  bruangs.  Of  course,  they 
could  not  commence  their  search  before  morning.  They 
halted,  therefore,  and  formed  camp  —  their  Dyak  guide 
erecting  a  bamboo  hut  in  less  than  an  hour,  and  thatch 
ing  it  over  with  the  huge  leaves  of  the  wild  musacea. 

The  place  where  they  had  halted  was  in  the  midst  of  a 
magnificent  grove,  or  rather  a  forest,  of  palms  ;  of  that 
kind  called  nibong  by  the  natives,  which  is  a  species  of 
the  genus  arenga.  It  is  one  of  the  "  cabbage  "  palms ; 
that  is,  its  young  leaves  before  expanding  are  eaten  by 
the  natives  as  a  vegetable  —  after  the  manner  in  which 
Europeans  use  cabbage.  They  are  of  a  delicate  white 
ness,  with  a  sweet  nutty  flavor ;  and,  in  point  of  excel 
lence,  are  even  superior  to  those  of  the  cocoa-nut,  or  even 
the  West  India  cabbage-palm  areca  oleracea.  But  the 
nibong  is  put  by  the  Borneans  and  other  natives  of  the 
Indian  Archipelago  to  a  great  variety  of  uses.  Its  round 


326  BRUIN. 

stem  is  employed  as  uprights  and  rafters  for  their  houses. 
Split  into  laths,  it  serves  for  the  flooring.  Sugar  can  be 
obtained  from  the  saccharine  juice  of  its  spadix,  which 
also  ferments  into  an  intoxicating  beverage  ;  and  sago 
exists  in  abundance  within  the  trunk.  Pens  and  arrows 
for  blow-guns  are  also  made  from  the  midribs  of  the  side 
leaves ;  and,  in  fact,  the  arenga  saccharifera,  like  many 
other  palms,  serves  for  an  endless  variety  of  purposes. 

Alexis  was  greatly  interested  by  the  appearance  of  this 
beautiful  tree ;  but  it  was  too  late  when  they  arrived  on 
the  ground  for  him  to  have  an  opportunity  of  examining 
it.  The  half-hour  before  darkness  had  been  occupied  in 
the  construction  of  the  hut  —  in  which  all  hands  had 
borne  part. 

Early  in  the  morning,  Alexis  —  still  curious  about  the 
arenga-trees  —  and  desirous  of  ascertaining  to  what 
genus  of  palms  they  belonged  —  strayed  off  among  them 
in  hopes  of  procuring  a  flower.  The  others  remained 
by  the  hut,  preparing  breakfast. 

Alexis  saw  none  of  the  trees  in  flower,  their  great 
spathes  being  yet  unfolded  ;  but,  hoping  to  find  some  one 
more  forward  than  the  rest,  he  kept  on  for  a  considerable 
distance  through  the  forest. 

As  he  was  walking  leisurely  along,  his  eyes  at  intervals 
turned  upward  to  the  fronds  of  the  palms,  he  saw  that 
one  of  the  trunks  directly  in  front  of  him  was  in  motion. 
He  stopped  and  listened.  He  heard  a  sound  as  of  some 
thing  in  the  act  of  being  rent,  just  as  if  some  one  was 
plucking  leaves  from  the  trees.  The  sound  proceeded 
from  the  one  that  was  in  motion  ;  but  it  was  only  its  trunk 
that  he  saw;  and  whatever  was  causing  the  noise  and 


THE    CABBAGE-EATER.  327 

the  movement  appeared  to  be  up  among  the  great  fronds 
at  its  crown. 

Alexis  regretted  that  he  had  left  his  gun  behind  him. 
He  had  no  other  weapon  with  him  but  his  knife.  Not 
that  he  was  afraid:  for  the  animal  could  not  be  an 
elephant  in  the  top  of  a  palm-tree,  nor  a  rhinoceros  ;  and 
these  were  the  only  quadrupeds  that  need  be  greatly 
dreaded  in  a  Bornean  forest :  since  the  royal  tiger,  though 
common  enough  both  in  Java  and  Sumatra,  is  not  an 
inhabitant  of  Borneo. 

It  was  not  fear  that  caused  him  to  regret  having  left 
his  gun  behind  him  ;  but  simply  that  he  should  lose  the 
chance  of  shooting  some  animal  —  perhaps  a  rare  one. 
That  it  was  a  large  one  he  could  tell  by  the  movement 
of  the  tree :  since  no  squirrel  or  small  quadruped  could 
have  caused  the  stout  trunk  of  the  palm  to  vibrate  in 
such  a  violent  manner. 

I  need  not  say  how  the  regret  of  the  young  hunter 
was  increased,  when  he  approached  the  tree,  and  looking 
up,  saw  what  the  animal  really  was  —  a  bear,  and  that 
bear  the  true  ursus  malayanus !  Yes,  there  was  he, 
with  his  black  body,  yellowish  muzzle,  and  white  half- 
moon  upon  his  breast  —  busy  gorging  himself  upon  the 
tender  leaflets  of  the  arenga  —  whose  white  fragments, 
constantly  dropping  from  his  jaws,  strewed  the  ground  at 
the  bottom  of  the  tree. 

Alexis  now  remembered  that  this  was  a  well-known 
habit  of  the  Malayan  bear  —  whose  favorite  food  is  the 
u  cabbage "  of  palm-trees,  and  who  often  extends  his 
depredations  to  the  cocoa  plantations,  destroying  hundreds 
of  trees  before  he  can  be  detected  and  destroyed  himself. 


328  BRUIN. 

Of  course  this  wild  arenga  wood  —  furnishing  the  bear 
with  as  much  "  cabbage  "  as  he  might  require  —  was  just 
the  place  for  him ;  and  Alexis  now  understood  the  reason 
why  the  Dyak  had  conducted  them  thither. 

As  the  naturalist  knew  that  this  kind  of  bear  was  more 
rare  than  the  other  species  —  that  is,  in  Borneo  —  he 
now  more  than  ever  felt  chagrin  at  not  having  his  gun 
with  him.  To  attempt  attacking  the  animal  with  his 
knife  would  have  been  absurd,  as  well  as  dangerous  — 
for  the  Malayan  bear  can  maintain  a  better  fight  than 
his  Bornean  brother. 

But,  indeed,  even  had  Alexis  desired  it,  there  would 
have  been  no  chance  to  reach  the  animal  with  his 
knife  —  unless  the  hunter  should  himself  climb  up  the 
palm ;  and  that  was  more  than  he  either  dared  or  could. 

Of  course  the  bear  had  long  ere  this  perceived  his 
enemy  at  the  foot  of  the  tree ;  and,  uttering  a  series  of 
low,  querulous  cries,  had  desisted  from  his  cabbage  eating, 
and  placed  himself  in  an  attitude  of  defence.  It  was 
evident  from  the  position  he  had  assumed,  that  he  had  no 
s  design  of  coming  down,  so  long  as  the  hunter  remained 
at  the  bottom  of  the  tree ;  nor  did  the  latter  desire  him 
to  do  so.  On  the  contrary,  he  struck  the  tree  with  a 
stick,  and  made  several  other  demonstrations,  with  the 
design  to  hinder  the  bear  from  attempting  a  descent. 
But  the  animal  did  not  even  meditate  Buch  a  tiling. 
Though  the  palm  was  not  one  of  the  highest,  it  was  tall 
enough  to  keep  him  out  of  the  reach  of  any  weapon  the 
hunter  could  lay  hands  upon ;  and  the  bear,  seemingly 
conscious  of  this  fact,  kept  his  perch  with  a  confident  air 
—  that  showed  he  had  no  intention  of  changing  his 
secure  position. 


THE    CABBAGE-EATER.  329 

Alexis  now  began  to  reflect  about  what  he  should  do. 
If  he  could  make  the  others  hear  him,  that  would  answer 
every  purpose.  Of  course  they  would  come  up,  bring 
ing  with  them  their  guns.  This  was  the  most  promising 
plan ;  and  Alexis  hastened  to  put  it  into  execution,  by 
hallooing  at  the  top  of  his  voice.  But,  after  he  had 
shouted  for  nearly  ten  minutes,  and  waited  for  ten  more, 
no  response  wras  given  ;  nor  did  any  one  make  an  ap 
pearance  upon  the  ground. 

Once  more  Alexis  raised  his  voice,  and  shouted  till  the 
woods  rang  with  echoes.  But  these  echoes  were  all  the 
reply  he  could  get  to  his  calls. 

It  was  evident  he  had  unconsciously  strayed  far  from 
the  camp,  and  quite  out  of  earshot  of  his  companions ! 

What  was  to  be  done  ?  If  he  should  go  back  to  the 
others,  to  bring  them  and  also  his  gun,  the  bear  would  in 
all  probability  seize  the  opportunity  to  descend  from  the 
tree  and  take  himself  off.  In  that  case  he  would  most 
certainly  escape :  since  there  would  be  no  chance  of 
tracking  him  through  such  a  wood.  On  the  other  hand, 
Alexis  need  not  remain  where  he  was.  He  might  stay 
there  till  doomsday,  before  Bruin  would  condescend  to 
come  down ;  and  even  should  he  do  so,  what  chance 
would  there  be  of  effecting  his  capture? 

"While  reflecting  thus,  a  happy  idea  occurred  to  the 
young  hunter ;  and  he  was  seen  all  at  once  to  step  a  pace 
or  two  back,  and  place  himself  behind  the  broad  leaves 
of  a  wild  pisang,  where  he  was  hidden  from  the  eyes  of 
the  bear. 

As  the  morning  was  a  little  raw  he  had  his  cloak 
around  him ;  and  this  he  instantly  stripped  off.  He  had 


830  BRUIN. 

already  in  his  hands  the  stout  long  stick  —  with  which  he 
had  been  hammering  upon  the  palm  —  and  this  he  now 
sharpened  at  one  end  with  his  knife.  On  the  other  end 
he  placed  his  cap,  and  beneath  it  his  cloak,  folding  the 
latter  around  the  stick,  and  tying  it  on  in  such  a  fashon 
as  to  make  of  it  a  rude  representation  of  the  human 
form. 

When  he  had  got  the  "  dummy  "  rigged  out  to  his  sat 
isfaction,  he  reached  cautiously  forward  —  still  keeping 
the  fronds  of  the  pisang  between  himself  and  the  bear. 
In  this  position,  he  held  the  "  scarecrow  "  out  at  the  full 
length  of  his  arm ;  and,  giving  the  stick  a  punch,  set  it 
erect  in  the  ground.  The  bruang,  from  his  elevated 
perch  on  the  tree,  could  not  fail  to  see  the  object  — 
though  the  hunter  himself  was  still  concealed  by  the 
huge  leaves  that  drooped  over  his  head.  Alexis,  now 
cautiously,  and  without  making  the  slightest  noise,  stole 
away  from  the  spot.  When  he  believed  himself  well  out 
of  hearing  of  the  bear,  he  quickened  his  pace,  and  re 
traced  his  steps  to  the  camp. 

It  was  but  the  work  of  a  minute  for  all  hands  to  arm 
themselves  and  set  out;  and  in  ten  minutes'  time  they 
arrived  at  the  bottom  of  the  arenga,  and  had  the  gratifi 
cation  of  finding  that  the  ruse  of  Alexis  had  proved  suc 
cessful. 

The  bruang  was  still  crouching  upon  the  crown  of  the 
palm ;  but  he  did  not  stay  there  much  longer,  for  a  volley 
fired  at  his  white  breast  toppled  him  over  from  his  perch ; 
and  he  fell  to  the  bottom  of  the  tree  as  dead  as  a  stone. 

The  Dyak  was  rather  chagrined  that  he  had  not  him 
self  discovered  the  game ;  but,  on  ascertaining  that  he 


THE    CABBAGE-EATER.  331 

would  receive  the  promised  bounty  all  the  same,  he  soon 
got  the  better  of  his  regrets. 

Our  hunters  being  on  the  ground,  were  determined  to 
make  a  day  of  it ;  and  after  breakfast  continued  their 
hunt  —  which  resulted  in  their  finding  and  killing,  not 
only  another  bruang,  but  a  rimau  dahan,  or  "  clouded 
tiger  "  (felis  macrocelus)  :  the  most  beautiful  of  all  feline 
animals,  and  whose  skin  they  intended  should  be  one  of 
the  trophies  to  be  mounted  in  the  museum  of  the  palace 
Grodonoff. 

This  hunt  ended  their  adventures  in  the  Oriental  Ar 
chipelago;  and  from  Sambos  they  proceeded  direct 
through  the  straits  of  Malacca,  and  up  the  Bay  of  Ben 
gal  to  the  great  city  of  Calcutta. 


332  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    LIX. 

THE    SLOTH   BEAR. 

En  route  for  the  grand  mountains  of  Imaus  —  the  stu 
pendous  chain  of  the  Himalayas ! 

There  our  hunters  expected  to  find  no  less  than  three 
species  of  bears  —  each  distinct  from  the  others  in  out 
line  of  form,  in  aspect,  in  certain  habits,  and  even  in 
habitat ;  for  although  all  three  exist  in  the  Himalayas, 
each  has  its  own  zone  of  altitude,  in  which  it  ranges 
almost  exclusively.  These  three  bears  are,  the  "sloth 
bear"  (ursus  labiatus),  the  "Thibet  bear"  (ursus  thibe- 
tanus),  and  the  "snow  bear"  (ursus  isabellinus). 

The  first  mentioned  is  the  one  which  has  received  most 
notice  —  both  from  naturalists  and  travellers.  It  is  that 
species  which  by  certain  wiseacres  of  the  closet  school 
was  for  a  long  time  regarded  as  a  sloth  (bradypus).  In 
redeeming  it  from  this  character,  other  systematists  were 
not  content  to  leave  it  where  it  really  belongs  —  in  the 
genus  ursus  —  but  must,  forsooth,  create  a  new  one  for 
its  special  accommodation  ;  and  it  now  figures  in  zoolog 
ical  catalogues  as  a  prochilus  —  the  prochilus  labiatus! 
We  shall  reject  this  absurd  title,  and  call  it  by  its  real 
one  —  ursus  labiatus,  which,  literally  translated,  would 
mean  the  "  lipped  bear  "  —  not  a  very  specific  appella- 


THE    SLOTH    BEAR.  333 

tion  neither.  The  name  has  been  given  in  reference 
to  a  peculiar  characteristic  of  the  animal  —  that  is,  its 
power  of  protruding  or  extending  the  lips  to  seize  its 
food  —  in  which  peculiarity  it  resembles  the  tapir,  gi 
raffe,  and  some  other  animals.  Its  trivial  name  of 
"  sloth  bear "  is  more  expressive :  for  certainly  its  pecu 
liar  aspect  —  caused  by  the  long  shaggy  masses  of  hair 
which  cover  its  neck  and  body  —  gives  it  a  very  striking 
resemblance  to  the  sloth.  Its  long  crescent-shaped  claws 
strengthen  this  resemblance.  A  less  distinctive  name  is 
that  by  which  it  is  known  to  the  French  naturalists, 
"  ours  de  jongleurs,"  or  "jugglers  bear."  Its  grotesque 
appearance  makes  it  a  great  favorite  with  the  Indian 
mountebanks  ;  but,  as  many  other  species  are  also  trained 
to  dancing  and  monkey-tricks,  the  name  is  not  character 
istic. 

This  bear  is  not  quite  so  large  as  the  ursus  arctos ; 
though  individuals  are  sometimes  met  with  approaching 
the  bulk  of  the  latter.  The  fur  is  longer  and  "  shaggier  " 
than  in  any  other  species  —  being  upon  the  back  of  the 
neck  full  twelve  inches  in  length.  In  this  mass  of  long 
hair  there  is  a  curious  line  of  separation  running  trans 
versely  across  the  back  of  the  neck.  The  front  division 
falls  forward  over  the  crown,  so  as  to  overhang  the  eyes 
— •  thus  imparting  to  the  physiognomy  of  the  animal  a 
heavy,  stupid  appearance.  The  other  portion  flaps  back, 
forming  a  thick  mane  or  hunch  upon  the  shoulders.  In 
old  individuals  the  hair  becomes  greatly  elongated ;  and 
hanging  down  almost  to  the  ground  on  both  flanks,  and 
along  the  neck,  imparts  to  the  animal  the  strange  appear 
ance  of  being  without  legs ! 


834  BRUIN. 

The  general  color  of  the  coat  is  black,  with  here  and 
there  a  dash  of  brown  over  it.  Upon  the  breast  there  is 
a  white  list  of  a  triangular  shape ;  and  the  muzzle  is  also 
a  dirty  yellowish  white.  There  is  no  danger  of  mistak 
ing  this  species  for  any  other  of  the  black  Asiatic  bears, 
or  even  any  black  bears.  The  long  shaggy  hair,  hang 
ing  loosely,  presents  an  appearance  altogether  different 
from  the  uniform  brush-like  surface,  which  characterizes 
the  coats  of  ursus  malayanus,  euryspilus,  americanus, 
ornatus,  and  frugilegus. 

Perhaps  the  most  peculiar  characteristic  of  the  sloth 
bear  is  the  capability  it  possesses  of  protruding  the  lips, 
which  it  can  do  to  a  length  of  several  inches  from  its 
jaws  —  shooting  them  out  in  the  form  of  a  tube,  evi 
dently  designed  for  suction.  This,  together  with  the 
long  extensile  tongue  —  which  is  flat-shaped  and  square 
at  the  extremity  —  shows  a  peculiar  design,  answering 
to  the  habits  of  the  animal.  No  doubt  the  extraordinary 
development  of  tongue  is  given  to  it  for  the  same  purpose 
as  to  the  edentata  of  the  ant-eating  tribe  —  to  enable  it  to 
"  lick  up  "  the  termites. 

Its  great  curved  claws,  which  bear  a  very  striking 
resemblance  to  those  of  the  ant-eaters  —  especially  the 
large  tamanoir  of  South  America  —  are  used  for  the 
same  purpose :  that  of  breaking  up  the  glutinous  com 
post  with  which  the  termites  construct  their  curious 
dwellings. 

These  insects  constitute  a  portion  of  the  sloth  bear's 
"  commissariat  of  subsistence ; "  but  he  will  also  eat 
fruits,  and  sweet  succulent  vegetables ;  and,  it  is  scarce 
necessary  to  add,  that  he  is  "  wild  after "  honey,  and  a 
regular  robber  of  beehives. 


THE    SLOTH   BEAR.  335 

Notwithstanding  the  comic  role,-  which  he  is  often 
taught  to  play  in  the  hands  of  the  jugglers,  he  not 
unfrequently  enacts  a  little  bit  of  tragedy.  This  occurs 
when  in  his  wild  or  natural  state.  He  is  not  disposed 
wantonly  to  make  an  attack  upon  human  beings ;  and  if 
left  unmolested,  he  will  go  his  way ;  but,  when  wounded 
or  otherwise  provoked,  he  can  show  fight  to  about  the 
same  degree  as  the  black  bear  of  America.  The  natives 
of  India  hold  him  in  dread :  but  chiefly  on  account  of  the 
damage  he  occasions  to  their  crops  —  especially  to  the 
plantations  of  sugar-cane. 

We  have  stated  that  the  sloth  bear  is  not  exclusively 
confined  to  the  Himalayas.  On  the  contrary,  these 
mountains  are  only  the  northern  limit  of  his  range  — 
which  extends  over  the  whole  peninsula  of  Hindostan, 
and  even  beyond  it,  to  the  island  of  Ceylon.  He  is 
common  in  the  Deccan,  the  country  of  the  Mahrattas, 
Sylhet,  and  most  probably  throughout  Transgangetic 
India.  In  the  mountains  that  bound  the  province  of 
Bengal  to  the  east  and  west,  and  also  along  the  foot 
hills  of  the  Himalayas  of  Nepaul  on  its  north,  the  sloth 
bear  is  the  most  common  representative  of  the  Bruin 
family ;  but  up  into  the  higher  ranges  he  does  not 
extend  his  wanderings.  His  habitat  proves  that  he 
affects  a  hot,  rather  than  a  cold  climate  —  notwithstand 
ing  the  great  length  of  the  fur  upon  his  coat. 

One  peculiarity  remains  to  be  mentioned.  Instead  of 
hiding  himself  away  in  solitudes,  remote  from  human 
habitations,  he  rather  seeks  the  society  of  man  :  not  that 
he  is  fond  of  the  latter ;  but  simply  that  he  may  avail 
himself  of  the  results  of  human  industry.  For  this  pur- 


336  '       BRUIN. 

pose  he  always  seeks  his  haunt  near  to  some  settlement 
—  whence  he  may  conveniently  make  his  depredations 
upon  the  crops.  He  is  not,  strictly  speaking,  a  forest 
animal.  The  low  jungle  is  his  abode  ;  and  his  lair  is  a 
hole  under  some  overhanging  bank  —  either  a  natural 
cavity,  or  one  which  has  been  hollowed  out  by  some 
burrowing  animal. 

Knowing  that  the  sloth  bear  might  be  met  with  in  any 
part  of  the  country,  to  the  northward  of  Calcutta,  our 
hunters  determined  to  keep  a  lookout  for  him  while  on 
their  way  to  the  Himalayas  —  which  mountains  they  in 
tended  ascending,  either  through  the  little  state  of  Sikkim, 
or  the  kingdom  of  Nepaul. 

Their  route  from  Calcutta  to  the  hills  lay  a  little  to  the 
west  of  north  ;  and  at  many  places  on  their  journey  they 
not  only  heard  of  the  sloth  bear,  but  were  witnesses  of 
the  ravages  which  this  destructive  creature  had  committed 
on  the  crops  of  the  farmers. 

There  were  sugar  plantations,  on  which  they  saw  tall 
wooden  towers  raised  in  the  middle  of  the  field,  and 
carried  to  a  considerable  height  above  the  surrounding 
vegetation.  On  inquiring  the  purpose  of  these  singular 
structures,  they  were  informed  that  they  were  intended 
as  watch-towers  ;  and  that,  during  the  season,  when  the 
crops  were  approaching  to  ripeness,  videttes  were  stationed 
upon  these  towers,  both  by  night  and  by  day,  to  keep  a 
lookout  for  the  bears,  and  frighten  them  off  whenever 
these  plunderers  made  their  appearance  within  the  boun 
daries  of  the  field. 

Notwithstanding  the  many  evidences  of  the  sloth  bear's 
presence  met  with  throughout  the  province  of  Bengal, 


THE    SLOTH   BEAR.  337 

our  hunters  failed  in  falling  in  with  this  grotesque  gentle 
man,  till  they  were  close  up  to  the  foot  of  the  Himalaya 
mountains,  in  that  peculiar  district  known  as  the  Terai. 
This  is  a  belt  of  jungle  and  forest  land  —  of  an  average 
width  of  about  twenty  miles,  and  stretching  along  the 
southern  base  of  the  Himalaya  range  throughout  its 
whole  length,  from  Afghanistan  to  China.  In  all  places 
the  Terai  is  of  so  unhealthy  a  character,  that  it  can 
scarcely  be  said  to  be  inhabited  —  its  only  human  deni 
zens  being  a  few  sparse  tribes  of  native  people  (Mechs)  ; 
who,  acclimated  to  its  miasmatic  atmosphere,  have  noth 
ing  to  fear  from  it.  Woe  to  the  European  who  makes 
any  lengthened  sojourn  in  the  Terai !  He  who  does  will 
there  find  his  grave. 

For  all  its  unhealthiness,  it  is  the  favorite  haunt  of 
many  of  the  largest  quadrupeds  :  the  elephant,  the  huge 
Indian  rhinoceros,  the  lion  and  tiger,  the  jungly  ghau  or 
wild  ox,  the  sambur  stag,  panthers,  leopards,  and  chee 
tahs.  The  sloth  bear  roams  through  its  thickets  and 
glades  —  where  his  favorite  food,  the  white  ants,  abounds; 
and  it  was  upon  reaching  this  district  that  our  hunters 
more  particularly  bent  themselves  to  search  for  a  speci 
men  of  this  uncouth  creature. 

Fortunately  they  were  not  long  till  they  found  one  — 
else  the  climate  of  the  Terai  would  soon  have  so  enfee 
bled  them,  that  they  might  never  have  been  able  to  climb 
the  stupendous  mountains  beyond.  Almost  upon  enter 
ing  within  the  confines  of  this  deadly  wilderness,  they 
encountered  the  sloth  bear ;  and  although  the  interview 
was  purely  accidental,  it  ended  in  Bruin  being  deprived 
of  his  life  and  his  long-haired  robe. 

15  v 


338  BRUIN. 

The  sloth  bear  did  not  submit  tamely  to  this  double 
robbery,  for  he  was  himself  the  assailant  —  having  been 
the  first  to  cry  "  Stand  and  deliver ! "  Nor  was  his  con 
quest  accomplished  without  a  perilous  struggle  —  that 
came  very  near  reducing  the  number  of  our  heroes  from 
odd  to  even.  But  we  shall  give  the  account  of  the  affair, 
as  we  find  it  detailed  in  the  journal  of  Alexis. 


BRUIN   TAKEN   BY   THE    TONGUE.  339 


CHAPTER    LX. 

BRUIN  TAKEN  BY  THE  TONGUE. 

THE  travellers  had  halted  for  lunch,  and  tied  their 
horses  to  the  trees.  While  Pouchskin  was  spreading 
out  the  comestibles,  and  Alexis  engaged  in  noting  down 
in  his  journal  the  events  of  the  day,  Ivan  —  attracted  by 
a  beautiful  bird  —  had  taken  up  his  fowling-piece,  and 
followed  the  bird  through  the  jungle  —  in  hopes  of  get 
ting  a  shot  at  it.  We  go  along  with  Ivan,  for  it  was  he 
who  started  the  "mountebank"  bear,  that  came  near 
mounting  him  on  the  moment  of  their  meeting  it. 

Ivan  was  walking  cautiously  along  a  bank,  that  rose  to 
about  the  height  of  his  head ;  but  which  in  places  was 
undermined,  as  if  by  the  action  of  running  water  — 
though  there  was  no  water  to  be  seen.  The  ground, 
however,  upon  which  he  trod  was  covered  with  pebbles 
and  coarse  gravel  —  showing  that  at  some  period  water 
must  have  flowed  over  it ;  and,  indeed,  it  was  evidently 
the  bed  of  a  stream  that  had  been  full  during  the  rainy 
season,  but  was  now  completely  dried  up. 

Ivan  was  not  thinking  of  this ;  but  of  the  beautiful 
bird  which  was  flitting  about  among  the  trees  —  still 
keeping  out  of  the  range  of  his  gun.  He  was  in  a  bent 
attitude,  crouching  along  under  the  bank  —  which  he 


840  BRUIN. 

was  using  as  a  cover,  to  enable  him  to  approach  the  tan 
talizing  game. 

All  at  once,  a  singular  noise  fell  upon  his  ear.  It  was 
a  sort  of  monotonous  purring,  like  that  made  by  a  spin 
ning-machine,  or  a  very,  large  tom-cat  ;  and  like  the  lat- 
*ter,  it  was  prolonged  and  continuous.  The  sound  was 
not  exactly  pleasant  to  Ivan's  ear,  for  it  denoted  the 
proximity  of  some  animal ;  and,  although  it  was  not  loud, 
there  was  something  about  the  tone  that  told  him  the  ani 
mal  giving  utterance  to  it  was  a  creature  to  be  feared. 
In  fact,  it  fell  upon  Ivan's  ear  in  the  character  of  a  warn 
ing  ;  and  caused  him  to  desist  from  his  pursuit  of  the  bird, 
come  suddenly  to  a  stand,  and  listen  with  great  attention. 

For  some  moments  he  was  unable  to  make  out  whence 
the  sound  proceeded.  It  seemed  to  fill  the  space  all 
around  him  —  as  if  it  came  out  of  the  air  itself —  for  the 
purring  sound  kept  the  atmosphere  constantly  vibrating ; 
and,  as  there  was  no  definite  concussion,  it  was  all  the 
more  difficult  to  trace  it  to  its  source. 

The  thought  that  had  entered  into  Ivan's  mind  was 
that  it  might  be  the  purring  of  a  tiger  he  heard ;  and  yet 
it  seemed  scarcely  so  harsh  as  that  —  for  he  knew  the 
peculiar  rattle  which  frequently  proceeds  from  the  thorax 
of  the  royal  Bengalese  cat. 

He  quickly  reflected,  however,  that  whether  it  was 
tiger  or  not,  it  would  neither  be  safe  for  him  to  raise  an 
alarm,  nor  start  to  rush  back  to  the  bivouac  —  though 
this  was  not  twenty  yards  from  the  spot.  By  making  an 
attempt  to  retreat,  he  might  draw  the  animal  after  him, 
or  stumble  upon  it  —  not  knowing  its  direction.  It  was 
to  ascertain  its  whereabouts  that  he  had  stopped  and 


BRUIN    TAKEN   BY   THE    TONGUE.  341 

stood  listening.  That  once  known,  he  might  keep  his 
place,  or  take  to  flight  —  as  circumstances  should  dictate. 

Nearly  a  minute  remained  he  in  this  irresolute  atti 
tude  —  looking  around  on  every  side,  and  over  the  bank 
into  the  contiguous  jungle ;  but  he  could  see  no  living 
thing  of  any  kind  —  for  even  the  bird  had  long  since 
taken  its  departure  from  the  place.  Still  the  purring 
continued  ;  and  once  or  twice  the  sound  increased  in  vol 
ume  —  till  it  almost  assumed  the  character  of  a  "  growl." 

All  at  once,  however,  it  came  to  an  end  ;  and  was  suc 
ceeded  by  a  quick,  sharp  "  sniff,"  several  times  repeated. 
This  was  a  more  definite  sound ;  and  guided  Ivan's  eyes 
in  a  direction  in  which  he  had  not  before  thought  of 
looking.  He  had  hitherto  been  reconnoitring  around 
him  and  over  the  bank.  He  had  not  thought  of  looking 
under  it. 

In  this  direction  were  his  eyes  now  turned ;  and  stoop 
ing  his  body,  he  peered  into  the  dark  subterraneous  ex 
cavation  which  the  water  had  caused  in  the  alluvial 
earth.  There,  to  his  surprise,  he  beheld  the  author  of 
the  baritone  performance  that  had  been  puzzling  him. 

At  first  he  saw  only  a  countenance  of  a  dirty-whitish 
color,  with  a  pair  of  ugly,  glancing  eyes  ;  but,  in  looking 
more  attentively,  this  countenance  was  seen  to  protrude 
out  of  an  immense  surrounding  of  black  shaggy  hair, 
which  could  be  the  covering  of  no  other  animal  than  a 
bear  —  and  a  sloth  bear  at  that  ? 

On  making  this  discovery,  Ivan  did  not  know  whether 
to  be  merry  or  sad.  He  would  have  been  glad  enough, 
had  he  seen  the  bear  at  a  distance ;  but,  situated  as  he 
was  —  with  the  great  brute  near  enough  to  reach  him  at 


342  BRUIN. 

a  single  spring,  —  in  fact,  almost  between  his  legs,  —  he 
had  little  cause  to  congratulate  himself  upon  the  "  find." 
Nor  did  he.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  seized  with  a 
quick  perception  of  danger,  and  only  thought  of  making 
his  escape.  He  would  have  turned  upon  the  instant  and 
fled ;  but  it  occurred  to  him,  that  by  doing  so  he  would 
draw  the  bear  after  him,  and  he  knew  that,  notwithstand 
ing  the  uncouth  shuffle  which  a  bear  makes  in  running, 
—  and  the  sloth  bear  is  the  greatest  "  shuffler "  of  the 
family,  — he  can  still  go  too  fast  for  a  man.  Should  he 
turn  his  face,  the  bear  might  spring  upon  his  back,  and 
thus  have  him  at  his  mercy. 

Instead  of  facing  away,  therefore,  Ivan  kept  his  front 
to  the  bank :  and  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  animal, 
commenced  gliding  backwards  slowly  but  silently.  At 
the  same  time  he  had  cautiously  raised  his  gun  to  the 
level  —  with  no  intention,  however,  of  firing,  but  merely 
to  be  ready  in  case  the  bear  should  become  the  assail 
ant.  Otherwise,  Ivan  was  perfectly  agreeable  to  mak 
ing  it  a  "  draw  "  between  them. 

Bruin,  however,  had  no  idea  of  thus  giving  up  the 
game;  for  the  fierce  growl  which  just  at  that  moment 
escaped  him,  signified  anything  but  assent.  On  the  con 
trary,  it  was  the  prelude  to  the  play ;  and  declared  his 
intention  of  beginning  it.  Almost  simultaneous  with  the 
growl,  he  was  seen  starting  to  his  feet ;  and  before  Ivan 
could  pull  trigger,  or  even  raise  his  gun  to  a  proper  ele 
vation,  a  huge  mass  of  black,  shaggy  hair,  like  a  bundle 
of  sooty  rags,  came  whisking  through  the  air  directly 
towards  him.  Men  talk  of  the  sudden  spring  of  the  tiger, 
and  the  quick,  rushing  charge  of  the  lion ;  but  strange  as 


BRUIN  TAKEN  BY  THE  TONGUE.        343 

it  may  seem,  neither  one  nor  other  of  these  animals  can 
charge  forward  on  their  intended  victim  with  more 
celerity  than  a  bear  —  clumsy  and  uncouth  as  Bruin 
may  appear.  His  capacity  of  raising  himself  erect  gives 
him  this  advantage  ;  and  from  his  great  plantigrade  pos 
terior  paws,  combined  with  his  powerful  muscular  legs, 
he  can  pitch  forward  with  a  velocity  surprising  as  it  is 
unexpected.  This  the  regular  bear-hunter  well  knows ; 
and  the  knowledge  renders  him  cautious  about  coming 
too  close  to  a  couchant  bear.  Ivan  himself  knew  it ; 
and  it  was  for,  this  very  reason  he  was  endeavoring 
to  widen  the  distance  between  himself  and  Bruin,  be 
fore  he  should  turn  to  run. 

Unfortunately  he  had  not  succeeded  in  gaining  suf 
ficient  ground.  He  was  still  within  charging  distance 
of  the  animal  as  it  rose  to  its  feet;  but  another  step 
backward  as  the  bear  launched  forth,  carried  him  clear 
of  the  spring ;  and  Bruin  leaped  short.  In  another  in 
stant,  however,  he  erected  himself,  and  again  sprang 
forward;  but  this  time  the  impetus  given  to  his  body 
was  not  so  great;  and  although  he  succeeded  in  clos 
ing  with  the  young  hunter,  the  ktter  was  enabled  to 
keep  his  feet  and  grapple  with  him  in  an  erect  attitude. 
Had  he  fallen  to  the  ground,  the  bear  would  have  made 
short  work  with  him. 

Ivan  had  dropped  his  gun ;  for,  not  having  time  to 
raise  it  or  take  aim,  the  weapon  was  of  no  use.  His 
hands  were  therefore  free ;  and  as  the  bear  pitched  up 
against  him,  he  stretched  out  his  arms,  grasped  the  long 
hair  that  hung  over  the  frontlet  of  the  animal,  and 
with  all  his  might  held  back  the  monster's  head  with 
his  threatening  jaws. 


344  BRUIN. 

The  bear  had  thrown  both  his  paws  around  the  body 
of  the  young  hunter  ;  but  a  broad  thick  belt  which  the 
latter  chanced  to  have  on,  protected  his  skin  from  the 
animal's  claws.  So  long  as  he  could  hold  back  that  open 
mouth,  with  its  double  rows  of  white,  sharp  teeth,  he 
had  not  so  much  to  fear ;  but  his  strength  could  not  last 
long  against  such  a  powerful  wrestler.  His  only  hope 
was  that  the  cries  which  he  was  raising  would  bring 
the  others  to  his  assistance ;  and  of  tliis  he  had  no  doubt : 
as  he  already  heard  both  Pouchskin  and  Alexis  hur 
rying  up  towards  the  spot. 

It  was  a  perilous  moment.  The  extended  jaws  of  the 
bear  were  within  twelve  inches  of  the  young  hunter's 
face ;  he  could  feel  the  hot  breath  steaming  against  his 
cheeks,  and  the  long  extensile  tongue  almost  touched  his 
forehead,  vibrating  about  in  rapid  sweeps,  as  if  the  ani 
mal  by  that  means  hoped  to  bring  Ids  head  within  reach  ! 

The  struggle  was  not  protracted.  It  lasted  till  Alexis 
and  Pouchskin  came  upon  the  ground ;  but  not.  six 
seconds  longer.  The  first  tiling  that  Pouchskin  did  was 
to  grasp  the  protruding  tongue  of  the  bear  in  his  left 
hand  —  making  a  half  curl  of  it  round  his  fingers  — 
while  with  his  right  he  plunged  his  long  knife  right  be 
tween  the  ribs  of  the  animal.  Alexis,  on  the  other  side, 
dealt  a  blow  in  similar  fashion ;  and,  before  either  of 
them  could  draw  his  blade  out  of  its  hair-covered  sheath, 
the  huge  mountebank  relaxed  his  hold,  and  rolled  over 
among  the  pebbles.  There,  after  a  few  grotesque  con 
tortions  his  limbs  lay  extended  and  motionless,  making 
it  evident  beyond  a  doubt,  that  his  "  dancing  days  were 
over." 


AN  EXTRA  SKIN:  345 


CHAPTER    LXI. 

AN   EXTRA    SKIN. 

OUR  hunters  did  not  remain  at  their  bivouac  longer 
than  was  absolutely  necessary  to  swallow  a  hasty  meal. 
They  had  been  warned  of  the  dangerous  climate  of  the 
Terai,  and  hurrying  on  through  it,  reached  the  more 
elevated  hill  region  before  night. 

Journeying  on,  they  entered  the  kingdom  of  Nepaul, 
among  whose  hills  they  expected  to  find  the  Thibet  bear 
(ursus  thibetanus).  This  animal  has  been  usually  re 
garded  as  a  mere  variety  of  the  ursus  arctos  ;  but  with 
out  the  slightest  reason.  It  is  an  animal  of  more  gentle 
habits,  and  exclusively  a  vegetarian  in  its  diet :  in  color 
it  is  black,  but  having  a  white  mark  on  its  breast  shaped 
like  a  Y,  the  branches  of  the  letter  coming  up  in  front 
of  its  shoulders,  while  the  limb  extends  between  the  fore 
legs  and  half-way  along  the  belly.  The  claws  of  the 
animal  are  small  and  weak  ;  and  its  profile  forms  almost 
a  straight  line,  thus  essentially  differing  from  the  ursus 
arctos.  It  is  also  a  much  smaller  animal  —  rarely  at 
taining  to  more  than  half  the  size  of  the  latter  species, 
and  scarce  bigger  than  the  ursus  malayanus,  to  which 
it  bears  a  far  greater  resemblance.  It  is  found  in  the 
mountains  of  Sylhet,  and  throughout  that  portion  of  the 
15* 


346  BRUIN. 

Himalayas  enclosed  within  the  great  bend  of  the  Brah 
mapootra,  in  Thibet,  whence  it  derives  its  specific  appel 
lation.  It  is  equally  an  inhabitant  of  the  hill-country  of 
Nepaul ;  and  there  our  hunters  proceeded  in  search  of 
their  specimen.  By  the  help  of  a  "  Ghoorka "  guide, 
which  they  had  hired,  they  were  not  long  in  finding  one ; 
but  as  there  was  no  curious  or  particular  incident  con 
nected  with  its  capture,  the  journal  of  Alexis  is  silent 
upon  the  affair  :  it  is  only  recorded  that  the  animal  was 
started  from  a  thicket  of  rhododendron  bushes,  and  shot 
down  while  endeavoring  to  make  its  escape. 

Having  settled  their  business  with  the  Thibet  bear, 
our  hunters  might  have  also  procured  another  species 
within  the  territory  of  Nepaul  —  that  is,  the  brown,  or 
Isabella  bear  (ursus  isabellinus).  This  they  could  have 
found  by  ascending  to  the  higher  ranges  of  the  great 
snowy  mountains  that  overlook  Nepaul ;  but  as  they 
•  knew  they  should  also  encounter  this  species  near  the 
sources  of  the  Ganges,  and  as  they  were  desirous  of 
visiting  that  remarkable  locality,  they  continued  on  west 
ward  through  Nepaul  and  Delhi,  arriving  at  the  health 
station  of  Mussoorie,  in  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Dehra 
Doon. 

After  resting  here  for  some  days,  they  proceeded  to 
ascend  the  mountains,  the  lower  and  middle  zone  of 
which  they  found  covered  with  forests  of  magnificent 
oaks,  of  several  distinct  species. 

In  these  oak  forests,  greatly  to  the  surprise  of  Alexis, 
they  heard  of  the  existence  of  a  large,  black  bear,  alto 
gether  different  from  the  ursus  thibetanus,  and  equally 
go  from  the  ursus  isabellinus  —  a  distinct  species,  in  fact, 


AN   EXTKA   SKIN.  347 

which,  though  well  known  to  Anglo-Indian  hunters,  ap 
pears  to  have  escaped  the  attention  of  naturalists. 

They  ascertained,  moreover,  that  he  was  far  from 
being  a  scarce  animal,  or  an  insignificant  member  of  the 
Bruin  family ;  in  point  of  size,  formidable  strength,  and 
ferocity  of  disposition,  being  only  inferior  to  ursus  ferox 
and  maritimus,  and  in  all  these  qualities  quite  a  match 
for  the  ursus  arctos.  Of  his  fierce  nature,  and  the  capa 
bility  to  do  mischief,  our  travellers  had  evidence  in 
almost  every  village  through  which  they  passed.  Nu 
merous  instances  were  brought  before  their  notice  of 
men  who  had  been  scratched  and  torn  by  these  black 
bears,  and  some  most  fearfully  mutilated.  They  saw 
men  with  their  whole  skin  stripped  from  their  skulls 
and  faces ;  their  features  presenting  a  most  hideous  as 
pect. 

This  singular  habit  of  inflicting  punishment  on  their 
human  enemy  appears  to  be  common  to  the  whole  bear 
tribe  —  I  mean,  the  habit  of  scalping  their  victims,  and 
endeavoring  to  disfigure  the  face.  Not  only  do  both  the 
black  and  brown  bears  of  the  Himalayas  follow  this 
habit,  but  also  the  ursus  arctos,  the  grisly,  and  the  white. 
They  always  aim  at  the  head,  but  more  especially  the 
face ;  and  with  a  single  "  rake "  of  their  spread  claws, 
usually  strip  off  both  skin  and  flesh. 

Having  accomplished  this,  a  bear  will  often  desist 
from  further  ill-treatment  of  his  victims ;  and  if  the  lat 
ter  will  but  lie  still  and  feign  dead,  the  monster  will  give 
up  mauling  him,  and  shamble  off  from  the  ground,  appa 
rently  satisfied  with  having  taken  the  scalp. 

This  savage  habit  on  the  part  of  the  bears  our  young 


348  BRUIN. 

hunters  had  long  since  noted ;  and  that  the  black  bear  of 
the  Himalayas  followed  the  fashion  of  his  kindred,  they 
had  now  ample  evidence. 

In  his  other  habits  —  which  they  learnt  from  the  Shik- 
karies,  or  village  hunters  —  this  bear  strongly  resembles 
the  ursus  arctos  of  Northern  Europe.  On  ordinary  occa 
sions  his  food  consists  of  fruits,  roots,  and  insects  of  every 
kind  he  can  catch  —  even  scorpions  and  beetles  —  and 
where  the  primeval  forest  does  not  afford  him  full  rations, 
he  will  enter  the  cultivated  grounds  and  make  havoc 
among  the  crops.  Strange  enough,  he  does  not  meddle 
with  the  wheat;  though  he  will  ravage  the  fields  of 
buckwheat  and  barley !  At  night  he  enters  the  gardens 
contiguous  to  the  houses,  and  plunders  them  of  all  kinds 
of  fruits  and  vegetables.  He  even  approaches  still 
nearer  —  abstracting  their  honey  from  the  tame  bees  — 
the  hives  of  which,  according  to  a  curious  custom  of  the 
liill  people,  are  set  in  little  indentations  in  the  walls  of 
their  dwelling-houses. 

The  black  bear  occasionally  cools  his  chops  by  munch 
ing  melons  and  cucumbers ;  but  he  is  particularly  fond 
of  a  dessert  of  apricots  —  which  is  the  most  common 
fruit  cultivated  throughout  the  middle  ranges  of  the  Him 
alayas.  The  bear  enters  the  apricot  orchard  at  night; 
and  climbing  the  trees,  will  make  more  havoc  in  a  single 
visit  than  a  score  of  school-boys.  In  all  the  orchards, 
elevated  crows'-nests  or  sentry  boxes  are  set  up,  specially 
intended  for  watching  the  bears  ;  and  at  this  reason  many 
of  them  are  killed  in  the  act  of  robbing. 

The  Himalayan  black  bear  will  eat  flesh  —  either  fresh 
or  putrid  —  and  when  once  he  has  got  into  this  habit  he 


AN    EXTRA    SKIN.  349 

never  forsakes  it,  but  remains  a  carnivorous  creature  for 
the  rest  of  his  life.  He  will  attack  the  goats  and  sheep 
on  the  mountain  pastures ;  and  will  even  make  inroads 
to  the  village  enclosures,  and  destroy  the  animals  in  their 
very  sheds !  When  a  flock  of  sheep  falls  in  his  way, 
unless  he  is  driven  off  by  the  shepherds,  he  does  not  con 
tent  himself  by  killing  only  one,  but  sometimes  converts 
a  score  of  them  into  mutton. 

Those  bears,  however,  that  exhibit  an  extreme  carniv 
orous  propensity,  are  certain  to  bring  about  their  own 
destruction :  as  the  attention  of  the  villagers  being  drawn 
upon  them,  snares  and  baited  traps  are  set  everywhere, 
and  they  are  also  followed  by  the  Shikkaries  armed  with 
their  matchlock  guns. 

These  bears  often  attain  to  an '  immense  size  —  in  this 
respect  nearly  equalling  the  ursus  arctos,  of  which  they 
cannot,  however,  be  supposed  to  be  a  variety.  Eight 
feet  is  the  usual  length  of  a  full-grown  specimen ;  and, 
when  in  a  good  condition,  it  requires  a  whole  crowd  of 
men  to  raise  the  carcass  of  one  of  them  from  the 
ground. 

Autumn  is  their  season  of  greatest  fatness ;  and  espe 
cially  when  the  acorns  are  getting  ripe,  but  previous  to 
their  falling  from  the  tree.  Then  the  black  bears  are 
met  with  in  the  greatest  numbers,  coming  from  all  parts 
into  the  oak  forests,  and  climbing  the  trees  to  procure 
their  favorite  food.  They  do  not  nibble  off  the  acorns 
one  by  one;  but  first  break  the  branches  which  are 
loaded,,  and  carry  them  all  into  one  place  —  generally 
into  some  fork  —  where,  seated  like  squirrels,  on  their 
great  hams,  they  can  discuss  the  meal  at  their  leisure. 


350  BRUIN. 

In  passing  through  these  oak  forests,  large  piles  of 
branches  may  be  seen  thus  collected  together  on  the  tops 
of  the  trees  —  resembling  the  nests  of  rooks  or  magpies 
—  which  have  been  brought  together  by  the  bears  for  the 
purpose  above  stated. 

When  the  forest  lies  in  a  district  where  these  bears 
are  much  hunted,  they  usually  retire  by  day ;  and  con 
ceal  themselves  in  their  hiding-places  in  the  thickets; 
but  even  in  such  forests  the  animals  may  be  seen  prowl 
ing  about  before  sunset,  and  long  after  daylight  in  the 
morning. 

In  the  higher  hills  and  forests  of  the  khurso  oak,  re 
mote  from  the  villages,  they  do  not  even  take  the  precau 
tion  to  hide  themselves,  but  remain  all  day  "  acorn-gath 
ering  "  among  the  trees.  It  is  at  this  season  that  they 
can  be  hunted  with  most  success:  since  the  hunter  is 
under  no  necessity  of  tracking  them,  but  can  find  his 
great  game  by  simply  walking  quietly  through  the  woods, 
and  keeping  a  lookout  overhead,  just  as  if  he  were 
searching  for  squirrels. 

It  chanced  to  be  the  month  of  October  when  our  hunt 
ers  arrived  at  this  part  of  the  Himalayas ;  and  having 
reached  the  region  of  the  larger  oak  forests,  they  com 
menced  their  search  accordingly.  They  were  extremely 
desirous  of  success;  knowing  how  much  their  father 
would  be  gratified  at  obtaining  the  skin  of  this  black 
bear,  which  being  an  undescribed  variety,  might  be  con 
sidered  an  "  extra  "  one. 


AN    UNHAPPY   HORSE.  351 


CHAPTER    LXII. 

AN   UNHAPPY   HOUSE. 

OUR  young  hunters  commenced  their  search  in  a  forest 
of  khurso  oaks,  which,  interspersed  with  cedars  and  other 
trees,  covered  a  high,  round-topped  ridge,  that  rose 
above  the  little  village  where  they  had  made  their  head 
quarters. 

On  reaching  the  flat  summit  of  the  ridge,  they  found 
they  could  manage  better  without  their  horses  :  as  seated 
in  the  saddle  they  could  not  so  well  reconnoitre  the  tops 
of  the  trees,  where  they  expected  to  see  their  game. 
They  dismounted,  therefore,  and  leaving  their  animals 
tied  to  the  branches  of  a  large  spreading  cedar-tree  (the 
deodor},  they  proceeded  onward  on  foot. 

On  this  day  the  luck  seemed  to  be  against  them  ;  for 
although  they  met  with  plenty  of  "  signs  "  —  where  the 
bears  had  broken  the  branches  of  the  oaks  —  and  also 
saw  numbers  of  freshly-made  "  rooks'-nests,"  they  could 
not  get  their  eyes  upon  Bruin  himself,  who  had  left  these 
tokens  of  his  presence.  It  might  be  that  this  forest  was 
frequently  hunted  by  the  native  Shikkaries ;  and  that 
would  account  for  the  absence  of  the  bears  during  the 
daytime.  They  had  gone,  no  doubt,  to  their  hiding- 
places. 


352  BRUIN. 

This  was  the  conclusion  at  which  our  hunters  arrived 
—  after  tramping  about  until  they  were  tired ;  and  not 
having  met  with  a  single  bear. 

It  was  now  the  hour  of  noon ;  and,  as  they  had  been 
told  that  the  evening  would  be  the  likelier  time  to  find 
Bruin  upon  the  prowl,  they  resolved  returning  to  where 
they  had  left  their  horses,  and  remaining  there  until  even 
ing  should  arrive.  They  had  grown  hungry  ;  and,  having 
walked  many  miles,  were  pretty  well  done  up.  A  bit  of 
dinner,  and  a  few  hours'  rest  under  the  great  cedar, 
would  recruit  their  strength ;  and  enable  them  to  take 
the  field  again  before  sunset  with  a  better  prospect  of 
success. 

Following  their  back-track  through  the  forest,  there 
fore,  they  proceeded  towards  the  place  where  they  had 
left  their  horses. 

Before  coming  in  sight  of  these  animals,  they  were 
admonished  of  their  proximity  by  hearing  them  neighing 
at  short  intervals ;  but,  what  surprised  them  still  more, 
they  heard  a  constant  pounding  —  as  if  the  horses  were 
striking  the  ground  repeatedly  and  continuously  with 
their  hoofs  ! 

Arriving  within  view  of  them,  their  astonishment  was 
not -diminished,  on  perceiving  that  the  three  horses  were 
rearing  and  dancing  over  the  ground,  as  if  endeavoring 
to  break  loose  from  their  fastenings  !  Each  had  been 
tied  to  a  separate  branch  of  the  tree  —  their  bridles 
being  simply  noosed  over  the  twigs  at  the  extremities  o£ 
the  branches  ;  and  allowing  them  to  play  to  the  full  length 
of  the  rein.  Consequently,  the  three  horses  were  many 
yards  apart  from  each  other ;  but  all  were  equally  in  mo- 


AN    UNHAPPY   HOUSE.  353 

tion  —  all  neighing  and  pitching  about,  as  if  something 
had  set  them  mad! 

Could  it  be  horse-flies  ?  thought  the  hunters.  They 
knew  there  was  a  species  of  horse-fly  in  the  Himalayas 
—  greatly  dreaded  by  all  animals,  and  even  by  man  him 
self.  They  knew  this :  for  they  had  already  suffered 
from  its  persecuting  bite.  But  this  was  in  the  lower 
valleys  ;  and  it  was  not  likely  it  should  be  found  at  the 
elevation  of  this  khurso  forest  —  quite  10,000  feet  above 
sea  level. 

Perhaps  bees  ?  There  might  be  a  nest  of  wild  bees 
somewhere  near  —  why  not  in  the  cedar  itself —  and  if 
so,  the  horses  might  be  attacked  by  them  ?  That  would 
account  for  the  capers  they  were  cutting  ! 

They  had  almost  settled  it  in  their  mind  that  this 
was  the  true  explanation ;  when  an  object  came  before 
their  eyes  that  gave  a  very  different  solution  to  the  mys 
tery. 

One  of  the  horses  appeared  more  frightened  than  the 
other  two  —  at  least  he  was  squealing  and  curvetting  in 
a  much  more  violent  manner.  As  he  danced  around, 
his  eyes  appeared  to  be  directed  upwards  —  the  great 
eyeballs  sparkling,  and  protruded  as  if  about  to  start 
from  their  sockets.  This  guided  the  glances  of  the  hunt 
ers  ;  and,  looking  among  the  branches  of  the  cedar,  they 
now  perceived  a  large  black  mass,  of  an  oblong  shape  — 
extended  along  one  of  the  lower  limbs,  and  just  over  the 
spot  where  the  horse  was  tied. 

They  had  hardly  time  to  make  out  the  shape  of  this 
dark  object,  and  become  convinced  that  it  was  the  body 
of  a  bear,  when  the  huge  creature  was  seen  to  launch 


354  BRUIN. 

itself  down  from  the  limb ;  and  then  drop  like  a  cat,  all- 
fours,  upon  the  back  of  the  horse ! 

The  latter  uttered  a  scream  of  affright ;  and  as  if  ter 
ror  had  added  to  his  strength,  he  now  succeeded  in  break 
ing  the  branch  —  around  which  the  rein  was  looped  — 
and  bounded  off  through  the  forest,  the  bear  still  squat 
ted  upon  his  back ! 

The  trees  that  stood  around  were  nearly  all  of  slender 
growth ;  but,  as  their  stems  grew  thickly  together,  the 
horse,  with  his  strange  rider,  could  make  but  slow  way 
among  them  ;  and  every  now  and  then  the  former,  half 
blind  with  affright,  dashed  his  sides  against  the  trunks, 
causing  them  to  crackle  and  shiver  at  each  concussion. 

All  at  once  the  horse  was  seen  coming  to  a  halt,  as  if 
brought  up  by  the  power  of  a  Mameluke  bit!  The 
spectators  saw  this  with  wondering  eyes  —  unable  for  the 
moment  to  explain  it.  As  they  were  very  near  the  spot 
where  the  halt  had  been  made,  they  soon  perceived  the 
nature  of  the  interruption.  The  bear  had  thrown  one 
of  his  great  fore-arms  around  a  tree ;  while,  with  the 
other,  he  still  clutched  the  horse,  holding  him  fast !  The 
design  of  Bruin  was  perfectly  clear :  he  had  seized  the 
tree  in  order  to  bring  the  steed  to  a  stand! 

In  this  for  a  time  he  was  successful.  With  one  arm 
he  was  enabled  to  retain  the  tree  in  his  powerful  hug ; 
while  with  the  other  he  held  the  horse  —  his  huge  paw, 
with  its  retentive  claws,  being  firmly  fixed  under  the 
pommel  of  the  saddle. 

A  singular  struggle  now  ensued,  which  lasted  for 
some  seconds  of  time ;  the  horse  making  the  most  ener 
getic  efforts  to  escape  ;  while  the  bear  was  equally  eager 
in  endeavoring  to  retain  him. 


AN   UNHAPPY  HORSE.  355 

Lucky  was  it  for  the  steed  that  his  master  was  not 
more  particular  about  the  girth  of  his  saddle,  and  that 
either  the  strap  or  buckle  was  a  bad  one.  Whichever 
of  the  two  it  was,  one  of  them  gave  way ;  and  the  horse, 
thus  freed,  was  not  slow  to  profit  by-  the  fortunate  acci 
dent.  Uttering  a  neigh  of  joy,  he  sprang  onward  — 
leaving  both  bear  and  saddle  behind  him. 

So  far  as  the  horse  was  concerned,  his  danger  was 
over.  Not  so  with  the  bear,  whose  troubles  were  just 
now  to  begin.  While  holding  the  horse  in  his  muscular 
arm  —  and  clutching  the  pine  with  the  other  —  the  tree 
had  got  bent  until  its  top  almost  touched  the  saddle. 
When  the  girth  broke,  therefore,  the  elastic  sapling  sprang 
back  like  a  piece  of  whalebone ;  and  with  such  an  im 
petus  as  not  only  to  shake  Bruin  from  his  hold,  but  to 
pitch  him  several  yards  to  the  opposite  side  —  where  he 
lay  stunned,  or  at  all  events  so  astonished,  as,  for  a  mo 
ment,  to  appear  as  if  he  had  taken  leave  of  his  life  ! 

This  moment  of  the  bear's  embarrassment  was  not  lost 
upon  the  hunters,  who  ran  rapidly  up  —  till  within  ten 
paces  of  the  prostrate  animal  —  and  discharging  their 
guns  into  his  body,  prevented  him  from  ever  again  getting 
to  his  feet.  His  hide  was  the  only  part  of  him  that 
afterwards  attained  the  erect  attitude ;  and  that  was 
when  it  was  mounted  in  the  museum  of  the  palace 
Grodonoff. 


356  BRUIN. 


CHAPTER    LX1II. 

THE    SNOW   BEAK. 

HIGHER  up  the  Himalayas  dwells  the  "  snow  bear." 
This  species  has  received  from  naturalists  the  very  fan 
ciful  appellation  of  the  "  Isabella  bear  "  (ursus  isabellinus) 
—  a  title  suggested  by  its  color  being  that  known  as 
"  Isabella  color,"  —  the  type  of  which  was  the  very  dirty 
gown  worn  by  Queen  Isabella  at  the  siege  of  Grenada. 
It  is  doubtful  whether  any  living  man  could  exactly  tell 
what  is  an  Isabella  color  ;  and  the  use  of  such  a  phrase 
in  describing  the  hue  of  an  animal's  skin  is  altogether  in 
definite  and,  to  say  the  least,  absurd. 

The  "Isabella  bears,"  moreover,  are  not  always  of 
the  so-called  Isabella  color.  On  the  contrary,  there  are 
some  of  dark-brown,  some  of  a  hoary-brown,  and  others 
nearly  white  ;  and  to  Himalayan  hunters  they  are  known 
by  the  various  appellations  of  brown,  red,  yellow,  white, 
gray,  silver,  and  snow,  showing  the  numerous  varieties 
of  color  met  with  in  the  species.  Some  of  these  varie 
ties  are  to  be  attributed  to  the  different  seasons  of  the 
year  and  the  age  of  the  animal. 

Of  all  these  designations,  that  of  "  snow  bear  "  appears 
the  most  characteristic,  since  it  avoids  the  risk  of  a  con 
fusion  of  names  —  the  other  titles  being  equally  bestowed 


THE    SNOW    BEAR.  357 

upon  certain  varieties  of  the  ursus  americanus  and  ursus 
ferox.  It  is  also  appropriate  to  the  Himalayan  animal : 
since  his  favorite  haunt  is  along  the  line  of  perpetual 
snow ;  or  in  the  grassy  treeless  tracts  that  intervene  be 
tween  the  snow-line  and  the  forest-covered  declivities  — 
to  which  they  descend  only  at  particular  times  of  the 
year. 

In  identifying  this  species,  but  little  reliance  can  be 
placed  on  color.  In  spring  their  fur  is  long  and  shaggy 
—  of  various  shades  of  yellowish-brown,  sometimes  red 
dish-brown,  and  not  unfrequently  of  a  gray  or  silvery 
hue.  In  summer  this  long,  yellowish  fur  falls  off;  and 
is  replaced  by  a  shorter  and  darker  coat,  which  gradually 
grows  longer  and  lighter  as  the  winter  approaches.  The 
females  are  a  shade  lighter-colored  than  the  males ;  and 
the  cubs  have  a  broad  circle  of  white  around  the  neck, 
which  gradually  disappears  as  they  grow  to  their  full  size. 

The  snow  bear  hybernates,  hiding  himself  away  in  a 
cave ;  and  he  is  only  seen  abroad  when  the  spring  sun 
begins  to  melt  the  snow  upon  the  grass-covered  tracts 
near  the  borders  of  the  forest.  On  these  he  may  be 
found  throughout  the  summer  —  feeding  upon  grass  and 
roots,  with  such  reptiles  and  insects  as  come  in  his  way. 
In  the  autumn  he  enters  the  forests  in  search  of  berries 
and  nuts,  and  at  this  season  —  like  his  congener,  the  black 
bear  —  he  even  extends  his  depredations  to  the  cultivated 
grounds  and  gardens  of  the  villagers,  in  search  of  fruit 
and  grain,  buckwheat  being  a  favorite  food  with  him. 

Though  naturally  a  vegetarian  in  his  diet,  he  will  eat 
flesh-meat  upon  occasions ;  and  frequently  makes  havoe 
among  the  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats,  that  in  summer  are 


858  BRUIN. 

taken  up  to  pasture  on  the  grassy  tracts  above  mentioned. 
While  thus  engaged,  he  does  not  regard  the  presence  of 
man  ;  but  will  attack  the  shepherds  who  may  attempt  to 
drive  him  off. 

Among  the  many  strange  items  that  compose  the  larder 
of  the  snow  bear,  grubs  and  scorpions  have  a  prominent 
place.  He  spends  much  of  his  time  in  searching  for 
these  —  scratching  them  out  of  their  holes,  and  turning 
over  stones  to  get  at  them.  Great  boulders  of  rock,  that 
a  man  could  not  move,  he  will  roll  over  with  his  mus 
cular  arms  ;  and  large  tracts  of  ground  may  be  seen  with 
the  stones  thus  displaced. 

It  was  while  engaged  in  this  curious  occupation,  that 
our  hunters  came  upon  one  of  the  snow  bears  ;  which 
they  succeeded  in  killing.  He  was  not  the  first  they 
had  encountered :  they  had  started  several,  and  wounded 
two ;  but  both  had  got  off  from  them.  This  one,  how 
ever,  fell  to  their  "  bag,"  and  in  rather  an  unexpected 
fashion. 

They  were  working  their  toilsome  way  up  a  narrow 
ravine  —  which,  although  the  season  was  autumn,  was 
still  filled  with  snow,  that  lay  in  the  bottom  of  the  gorge 
to  a  great  depth.  It  was  snow  that  had  lain  all  the  year ; 
and  although  not  frozen,  the  surface  was  firm  and  stiff; 
and  it  was  with  difficulty  they  could  get  support  for  their 
feet  on  it.  Here  and  there  they  were  compelled  to  stop 
and  cut  steps  in  the  snow  —  as  the  surface-sloped  up 
ward  at  an  angle  of  full  50°,  and,  in  fact,  they  were 
rather  climbing  than  walking.  Their  object,  in  under 
taking  this  toilsome  ascent,  was  simply  because  they  had 
seen  a  bear  going  up  the  same  way  but  a  few  minutes 


THE    SNOW   BEAR.  359 

before ;  and  the  scratches  of  his  claws  were  visible  on  the 
snow  just  before  their  faces. 

Making  as  little  noise  as  possible,  they  kept  onward  ; 
and  at  length  reached  the  head  of  the  gorge.  On  peep 
ing  cautiously  over,  they  saw  a  little  table-like  tract  of 
level  ground,  several  acres  in  extent.  It  was  quite  clear 
of  snow;  and  covered  with  green  herbage.  A  number 
of  large  boulder  stones  lay  scattered  over  it  —  which  had 
evidently  rolled  down  from  the  mountain-side  that  rose 
still  higher  above  the  table. 

But  the  sight  that  most  gratified  them  was  the  bear 
himself —  no  doubt,  the  same  they  had  seen  going  up 
the  ravine.  They  now  discovered  him  upon  the  level 
ground,  not  twenty  yards  from  the  spot  where  they  stood. 
In  a  strange  attitude  they  saw  him  —  grasping  between 
his  fore  paws  a  huge  boulder  stone,  almost  as  large  as 
his  own  body,  and  evidently  in  the  act  of  rolling  it  out 
of  its  bed ! 

They  were  the  less  astonished  at  what  they  saw  :  for, 
being  already  acquainted  with  this  singular  habit  of  the 
snow  bear,  they  knew  what  he  was  about.  They  did  not 
stay,  therefore,  to  watch  his  herculean  labors ;  but  all 
three,  levelling  their  guns,  pulled  trigger  simultaneously. 
The  bullets  —  some  of  them,  at  least  —  evidently  struck 
the  bear ;  but,  although  he  dropped  the  great  boulder  — 
which  at  once  fell  back  into  its  place  —  he  did  not  him 
self  drop.  On  the  contrary,  he  turned  suddenly  round  ; 
and,  giving  utterance  to  a  savage  growl,  rushed  direct 
towards  the  hunters. 

The  latter,  not  having  time  to  reload,  had  no  choice 
but  to  run  for  it.  There  was  no  other  way  of  escape 


360  BRUIN. 

open  to  them,  except  by  the  gorge  up  which  they  had 
come  ;  as,  to  attempt  ascending  to  the  level  ground  would 
have  brought  them  face  to  face  with  the  bear.  They 
turned,  therefore ;  and  commenced  retreating  down  the 
ravine. 

But  now  came  the  difficulty.  They  had  not  made 
three  strides,  before  perceiving  that  they  could  not  keep 
their  feet  upon  the  hard  sloping  surface  of  the  snow. 
They  had  no  time  to  cut  fresh  steps,  nor  pick  out  their 
old  ones :  as  by  doing  either  they  would  go  too  slowly, 
while  the  bear  could  scramble  down  the  snow  as  rapidly 
as  on  bare  ground.  There  was  no  alternative,  therefore, 
but  to  fling  themselves  on  their  posteriors,  and  slide  down 
the  slope. 

Quick  as  came  the  thought,  all  three  of  them  dropped 
down  upon  their  hams  ;  and  using  their  guns  to  prevent 
them  from  going  with  too  great  velocity,  they  shot  down 
ward  to  the  bottom  of  the  ravine. 

On  reaching  the  lower  end  of  the  slope,  and  regaining 
their  feet,  they  turned  and  looked  back  up  the  gorge. 
The  bear  had  arrived  at  the  upper  end ;  and  was  stand 
ing  with  his  fore  feet  projected  over  the  edge,  and  resting 
upon  the  snow.  He  appeared  to  be  undecided,  as  to 
whether  he  should  come  down  after  them,  or  give  up  the 
pursuit.  He  was  within  easy  range  of  a  bullet;  and 
they  bethought  them  of  reloading  and  giving  him  a  fresh 
volley ;  when,  to  their  chagrin,  they  discovered  that  the 
barrels  of  their  guns  were  filled  with  snow  —  which  had 
got  into  them  during  the  descent. 

While  lamenting  this  unfortunate  accident  —  in  the 
full  belief  that  they  would  now  lose  the  bear  —  they  saw 


THE    SNOW   BEAR.  361 

the  animal  make  a  strange  movement.  It  was  forward, 
and  towards  them  —  as  if  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
charge  down  the  slope ;  but  they  soon  perceived  that  this 
could  not  be  his  intention :  for  as  he  came  gliding  on, 
sometimes  his  head,  and  sometimes  his  stern  was  fore 
most  ;  and  it  was  evident  that  instead  of  the  movement 
being  a  voluntary  act  on  his  part,  it  was  quite  the  con 
trary.  The  fact  was,  that  the  bullets  which  they  had 
fired  into  him  had  drawn  the  life's  blood  out  of  his  veins ; 
and  having  stood  too  long  on  the  sloping  edge  of  the 
snow,  he  had  fallen  through  feebleness ;  and  was  now 
tumbling  down  the  ravine,  without  strength  enough  to 
stay  his  descent. 

In  another  instant  he  lay  stretched  almost  at  the  feet 
of  the  hunters;  for  the  impetus  imparted  to  his  huge 
carcass  in  the  descent,  had  brought  with  it  such  a 
"  whack "  against  a  large  rock,  as  to  deprive  him  of 
whatever  either  of  blood  or  breath  there  had  been  left 
in  his  body. 

The  hunters,  however,  made  sure  of  this,  by  drawing 
their  long  knives,  and  making  an  additional  vent  or  two 
between  his  ribs  —  thus  securing  themselves  against  all 
risk  of  his  resuscitation. 

They  had  now  finished  with  the  Himalayan  bears  of 
known  and  unknown  kinds  ;  but  Alexis  learnt  enough 
from  hunters,  whom  they  had  encountered  during  their 
sojourn  in  these  mountains,  to  convince  him  that  great 
confusion  exists  among  naturalists  as  to  the  different 
species  and  varieties  that  inhabit  the  Himalayan  range. 
Of  the  "  snow  bear  "  itself,  a  variety  exists  in  the  moun 
tains  of  Cashmere ;  which,  as  far  as  Alexis  could  learn, 
16 


362  BRUIN. 

was  very  different  from  the  kind  they  had  killed.  The 
Cashmerian  variety  is  of  a  deep  reddish-brown  color, 
much  longer  in  the  muzzle  than  the  "  snow  bear,"  and 
also  a  more  dangerous  antagonist  to  man  —  being  a  brute 
of  eminently  carnivorous  propensity  and  savage  dis 
position. 

"  It  is  quite  probable,"  remarks  Alexis,  in  his  journal, 
"that  instead  of  three  kinds  of  bears  inhabiting  the 
Himalayan  range,  twice  that  number  of  "  species  "  —  or 
at  all  events,  of  permanent  varieties  —  may  be  found 
within  the  extensive  area  covered  by  these  stupendous 
mountains." 


v 

THE   LAST    CHASE.  363 


CHAPTER    LXIV. 

THE    LAST    CHASE. 

OUR  travellers  descended  once  more  to  the  plains  of 
Hindostan,  and  crossed  the  peninsula  by  dak  to  Bombay. 
From  Bombay  they  sailed  through  the  Indian  Ocean, 
and  up  the  Persian  Gulf  to  the  port  of  Bussora,  on  the 
Euphrates.  Ascending  the  Tigris  branch  of  this  Asiatic 
river,  they  reached  the  famed  city  of  Bagdad.  They 
were  now  en  route  for  the  haunts  of  the  Syrian  bear 
among  the  snowy  summits  of  Mount  Lebanon.  With 
a  Turkish  caravan,  therefore,  they  started  from  Bagdad ; 
and  after  much  toil  and  many  hardships,  arrived  in  the 
city  of  Damascus  —  the  scene  of  so  many  troubles  and 
massacres  caused  by  the  fanaticism  of  a  false  religion. 

With  these  questions  our  travellers  had  nothing  to  do  ; 
nor  did  they  stay  any  length  of  time  within  the  walls  of  the 
unhappy  city.  Soon  after  their  arrival  in  the  place,  they 
obtained  all  the  information  they  required  of  the  where 
abouts  of  the  Syrian  bear;  and  their  steps  were  now  direct 
ed  towards  the  snowy  summits  of  Libanus  —  better  known 
to  Christians  by  its  Scriptural  name  of  Mount  Lebanon, 

In  these  mountains  the  Syrian  bear  (ursus  syriacus) 
is  found ;  and  it  is  only  a  few  years  since  the  animal  was 
discovered  there.  Every  naturalist  had  doubted  the 


364  BRUIN. 

existence  of  bears  in  any  part  of  Syria  —  as  they  now 
deny  that  there  are  any  in  Africa.  Those  who  acknowl 
edge  it,  are  inclined  to  regard  the  Syrian  bear  as  a  mere 
variety  of  the  ursus  arctos  ;  but  this  theory  is  altogether 
incorrect.  In  shape,  color,  and  many  of  his  habits,  the 
Syrian  bear  differs  essentially  from  his  brown  congener ; 
and  his  dwelling-place  — -  instead  of  being  in  forest- 
covered  tracts  —  is  more  generally  in  open  ground  or 
among  rocks.  In  fact,  his  range  upon  the  Syrian  moun 
tains  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  "  snow  bear  "  on  the 
Himalayas  —  near  the  line  of  perpetual  snow. 

The  color  of  the  ursus  syriacus  is  a  light  ash  or 
fulvous  brown,  often  with  a  hoary  or  silvery  tinge  — 
but  the  color  varies  at  times  to  lighter  and  deeper  shades. 
The  hair  lies  close  against  the  skin  —  in  this  respect 
differing  from  most  of  the  species,  in  which  the  fur  stands 
erect  or  perpendicular  to  the  outlines  of  the  body. 
This  gives  the  Syrian  bear  the  appearance  of  being  a 
thinner  and  smaller  animal  than  many  bears  of  upright 
fur  that  are  no  bigger  than  he. 

By  one  characteristic  mark  he  may  be  easily  identi 
fied  ;  and  that  is,  by  his  having  an  erect  ridge  of  fur 
running  from  his  neck  along  the  spine  of  his  back,  and 
looking  not  unlike  the  mane  of  a  donkey.  But,  indeed, 
the  Syrian  bear  may  be  easily  distinguished  from  any 
other  member  of  this  family ;  and  to  regard  him  as  a 
mere  variety  of  the  ursus  arctos,  is  only  going  back  to 
the  old  system  that  considers  all  the  bears  as  one  and  the 
same  species. 

The  Syrian  bear  does  not  inhabit  the  whole  range  of 
the  mountains  that  pass  under  the  general  name  of  Leb- 


THE    LAST    CHASE.  365 

anon.  Only  on  the  loftier  summits  is  he  found  —  par 
ticularly  on  that  known  as  Mount  Makmel.  This  summit 
is  covered  with  snow ,  and  it  is  under  the  snow-line  he 
usually  makes  his  haunt.  Sometimes,  however,  he  de 
scends  to  a  lower  elevation ;  and  in  the  village  gar 
dens — just  as  does  the  snow  bear  in  the  Himalayas  — 
he  make  sad  havoc  among  fruits  and  vegetables.  He  will 
also  kill  sheep,  goats,  and  even  larger  animals  that  come 
in  his  way ;  and  when  provoked  will  attack  the  hunter 
without  fear.  He  is  most  dreaded  in  the  night :  for  it  is 
during  the  darkness  he  generally  makes  his  plundering 
expeditions.  Both  shepherds  and  hunters  have  been 
killed  by  him  —  proving  that  he  still  retains  the  savage 
character  given  to  him  in  the  Scriptures  ;  where  sev 
eral  of  his  kind  —  she-bears  they  were  —  are  repre 
sented  as  having  torn  "  forty  and  two  of  the  mockers  of 
Elisha." 

He  appears  to  have  been  equally  characterized  by  a 
ferocity  of  disposition  in  the  crusading  ages  —  since  it 
is  related  that  the  great  leader  Godfrey  slew  one  of  these 
bears,  whom  he  found  assaulting  a  poor  wood-cutter  of 
Antioch ;  and  the  affair  was  considered  a  feat  of  great 
prowess  by  those  eccentric  champions  of  the  Cross. 

That  the  Syrian  bear  is  still  as  ferocious  and  savage 
as  he  ever  could  have  been,  our  hunters  proved  by  their 
own  experience :  for  although  they  did  not  get  into 
the  power  of  one,  they  would  certainly  have  done  so  — 
some  one  of  them  at  least  —  had  they  not  been  fortunate 
enough  to  kill  the  bear  before  he  could  lay  his  claws 
upon  them.  But  we  shall  briefly  describe  the  adven 
ture  ;  which  was  the  last  our  hunters  were  engaged 


366  BRUIN. 

in  —  at  least,  the  last  we  find  recorded  in  the  journal 
of  Alexis.  / 

Bischerre,  a  little  mountain  village,  situated  near  the 
snow-line  on  Mount  Makmel,  had  become  their  temporary 
head-quarters.  Its  neighborhood  was  celebrated  for  the 
great  number  of  bears  that  frequent  it.  These  animals 
descending  from  the  higher  ridges  surrounding  it,  fre- 
frequently  enter  the  gardens  of  the  villagers,  and  rob 
them  of  their  vegetables  and  chick-peas  (cicer  arietinus) 
—  the  latter  being  a  favorite  food  of  the  Syrian  bear. 

From  Bischerre  the  hunters  extended  their  excursions 
on  foot:  since  the  nature  of  the  ground  would  not  ad 
mit  of  their  using  horses  ;  and  they  had  succeeded  in 
getting  several  good  "  bear-chases,"  and  in  killing  a 
brace  of  these  animals.  Both,  however,  were  very 
young  ones  —  cubs,  in  fact  —  and  their  skins  would  not 
do.  A  better  specimen  must  be  procured. 

This  came  into  their  hands  in  the  following  man 
ner : — 

They  had  succeeded  in  tracing  a  bear  up  into  a  rocky 
ravine  —  the  entrance  into  which  was  not  over  ten  or 
twelve  feet  in  width.  The  ravine  itself  was  a  steep 
descent  leading  up  to  the  mountains ;  and  its  bottom,  or 
bed,  was  covered  with  a  conglomeration  of  large  rounded 
boulders,  that  looked  as  if  they  had  been  rolled  into  this 
shape  by  water.  They  resembled  the  round  stones  some 
times  seen  in  rivers ;  and  no  doubt  there  was  a  torrent 
there  at  times ;  but  just  then  the  channel  was  dry,  and 
not  a  drop  of  water  appeared  anywhere.  There  was  no 
snow  either ;  as  the  place  was  below  the  line  of  snow ; 
and  they  had  only  traced  the  bear  into  it  on  information 


THE    LAST    CHASE.  367 

given  them  by  some  shepherds,  who  had  seen  the  animal 
recently  enter  it. 

Relying  upon  this  information,  they  kept  up  the  defile, 
making  their  way  with  difficulty  over  the  loose  pebbles. 
They  had  a  hope  that  the  bear  was  still  somewhere  within 
the  gorge  ;  and  that  they  might  find  him  in  some  crevice 
or  cave.  On  each  side  rose  high  cliffs  that  almost  met 
overhead  ;  and  our  hunters,  as  they  scrambled  up  the 
steep,  examined  these  cliffs  carefully  —  expecting  to 
perceive  the  mouth  of  a  cavern.  The  place  was  like 
ly  enough,  for  at  every  few  yards  they  saw  crevices 
and  deep  cavities ;  but  in  none  of  them  could  they  find 
any  traces  of  Bruin. 

They  had  got  about  half  way  through  the  ravine  — 
and  were  still  scrambling  upward  —  when  a  loud  sniff 
drew  their  attention  ;  and,  looking  in  the  direction  whence 
it  appeared  to  have  proceeded,  there,  sure  enough,  was 
the  identical  animal  they  were  after  —  Master  Bruin 
himself.  They  saw  only  his  snout ;  which  was  projected 
out  from  the  face  of  the  cliff,  about  twenty  feet  above  the 
bed  of  the  ravine.  His  whole  head  was  shortly  after 
poked  forth  ;  and  seen  en  profile  from  below,  it  looked  as 
if  there  was  a  bear's  head  glued  against  the  flat  surface 
of  the  rock,  just  as  stags'  heads  are  seen  ornamenting  the 
halls  of  grand  country  mansions.  Our  hunters,  however, 
knew  there  must  be  a  cave  behind  —  in  which  was  the 
body  of  the  bear,  though  it  was  concealed  from  their 
eyes. 

The  bear,  after  glancing  at  the  intruders  who  had  dis 
turbed  him,  drew  back  his  head  so  suddenly  that  not  a 
shot  could  be  fired  in  time.  The  hunters,  in  order  to 


368  BRUIN. 

get  into  a  better  position,  hurried  past  under  the  cave ; 
and  took  stand  several  paces  above  it  —  where  they  were 
able  to  command  a  better  view  of  the  entrance. 

They  were  now  on  a  level  with  the  hole  out  of  which 
the  head  had  shown  itself ;  and  without  speaking  a  word, 
only  in  whispers,  they  waited  for  the  reappearance  of  the 
snout. 

It  was  not  long  before  they  had  the  satisfaction  of  see 
ing  it.  Whether  from  curiosity  to  know  if  they  were 
gone  —  or  with  the  design  of  sallying  forth  in  pursuit  of 
them  —  the  bear  once  more  protruded  his  muzzle  from 
the  hole.  Fearing  that  he  might  draw  it  back  again,  and 
not  give  them  another  chance,  all  three  fired,  and  in  such 
haste  that  two  of  them  quite  missed  the  object.  Only 
the  bullet  of  Alexis  had  been  properly  aimed  ;  and  this 
was  seen  striking  the  bear  right  in  the  teeth  —  several 
of  which  were  shot  clean  out  of  his  jaws. 

As  the  smoke  cleared  out  of  their  eyes,  the  great 
yellow  body  of  the  bear  was  observed  out  upon  the  little 
ledge  that  projected  in  front  of  the  cave ;  and  uttering 
loud  screams  —  expressive  both  of  rage  and  pain  —  the 
angry  animal  bounded  down  among  the  boulders.  In 
stead  of  making  down  the  ravine  —  as  our  hunters  ex 
pected  —  he  turned  upwards,  and  rushed  directly  towards 
them. 

Again  there  was  no  alternative  but  flight ;  and  up  the 
steep  gorge  they  must  go.  To  make  downward  would 
be  to  run  right  upon  the  claws  of  the  infuriated  animal ; 
and  upward  was  the  only  wray  left  open  to  them. 

All  three  started  and  ran  as  fast  as  they  were  able ; 
and  for  a  while  were  in  hopes  of  distancing  their  pur- 


THE   LAST    CHASE.  3 CD 

suer.  But  further  up,  the  slope  grew  steeper ;  and  the 
loose  stones  became  more  difficult  to  clamber  over.  Their 
breath,  too,  was  by  this  time  quite  gone ;  and  all  three 
were  panting  like  "  winded  "  horses. 

It  was  impossible  for  them  to  go  a  step  farther. 

In  despair,  they  halted  ;  and  turned  to  face  the  pursuer 
—  all  of  them  at  the  same  iiigtant  drawing  their  knives  ; 
and  bracing  their  bodies  for  the  expected  struggle.  The 
bear,  still  growling  and  screaming,  came  on  —  making 
way  over  the  stones  much  faster  than  they  had  done. 
He  would  have  been  certain  of  overtaking  them,  had 
they  continued  their  race :  for  he  was  scarce  six  paces 
behind  them  when  they  had  stopped. 

No  doubt  it  would  have  been  a  dangerous  conflict,  had 
it  come  off ;  and,  indeed,  breathless  as  they  were,  they 
could  never  have  sustained  the  attack.  Of  course,  they 
had  no  time  to  reload  their  guns,  and  did  not  think  of 
such  a  thing.  Their  determination  was  to  defend  them 
selves  with  their  knives  ;  and  perhaps  they  might  have 
succeeded  in  doing  so,  had  there  been  an  occasion.  But 
there  was  not. 

Before  the  bear  could  get  up  to  them,  a  better  idea  had 
flashed  across  the  brain  of  Pouchskin  ;  which  he  lost  not 
a  moment  in  carrying  into  execution.  Stooping  suddenly, 
and  flinging  his  knife  out  of  his  hands,  he  laid  hold  of  a 
large  boulder  —  big  enough  to  weigh  at  least  half  a  hun 
dred  —  and  raising  this  to  the  height  of  his  shoulder,  he 
hurled  it  down  upon  the  bear. 

The  huge  stone  struck  the  animal  right  upon  the 
breast ;  and  what  with  the  force  by  which  it  had  been 
launched  from  Pouchskin's  powerful  arm,  and  the  im- 
16*  x 


370  BRUIN. 

petus  it  had  gained  in  its  descent,  it  acted  on  Bruin  like 
a  thunderbolt  —  not  only  knocking  him  over  on  his  back, 
but  carrying  his  body  along  with  it  full  ten  paces  down 
the  gorge. 

When  the  hunters  at  length  reloaded  their  guns,  and 
went  down  to  where  Bruin  lay  among  the  rocks,  they 
found  him  lying  doubled  up  as  dead  as  mutton. 

Having  stripped  him  of  his  fulvous  skin,  they  returned 
to  Bischerre  ;  and  next  day  packing  up  their  impedimen 
ta,  they  crossed  through  the  passes  of  Mount  Libanus, 
and  proceeded  onward  to  the  shores  of  the  Mediterra 
nean  Sea. 

Home  was  now  the  word ;  and  right  pleasant  was  the 
sound  of  it  in  their  ears.  The  grand  bear-hunt  was 
ended.  They  had  accomplished  the  task  imposed  upon 
them  —  having  kept  every  condition  of  their  covenant. 

Of  course  they  expected  a  grand  welcome  upon  their 
return ;  and  in  this  expectation  they  were  not  disap 
pointed  ;  for  many  days  and  nights  after  the  baronial 
halls  of  the  palace  Grodonoff  echoed  the  sounds  of 
mirth  and  revelry. 

In  the  museum  our  young  hunters  met  their  old  ac 
quaintances,  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  They  encoun 
tered  them  standing  in  different  attitudes  —  all  mounted 
in  the  most  approved  fashion.  The  Syrian  bear  was 
the  only  one  not  among  them :  as  they  had  themselves 
brought  his  skin  —  all  the  others  having  been  sent  home 
by  "  Parcels  Delivery."  In  a  few  days,  however,  the 
ursus  syriacus  was  set  upon  his  legs ;  and  the  collection 
was  complete. 

The  news  of  the  "  Grand  Bear-Hunt,"  with  its  curious 


THE    LAST    CHASE.  371 

conditions,  soon  got  abroad ;  and  travelled  all  round  the 
social  circle  of  St.  Petersburgh.  Figuratively  speaking, 
our  young  hunters  were  transformed  into  animals  them 
selves  —  they  became  "  lions,"  —  and  remained  so  for 
that  season ;  but  even  at  this  hour  in  the  salons  of  the 
great  Russian  capital,  you  may  often  hear  introduced, 
as  a  favorite  topic  of  conversation  — 

"  THE  BARON  AND  HIS  BEARS." 


THE    END. 


Cambridge :  Stereotyped  and  Printed  by  Welch,  Bigelow,  &  Co. 


UEF./ 


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